Did You Know?
The overall green building market (both non-residential and residential) is likely to more than double from today’s $36-49 billion to $96-140 billion by 2013 (Source: McGraw Hill Construction (2009). Green Outlook 2009: Trends Driving Change.)
What is “building green”? More and more buildings are designed, constructed and maintained with the environment in mind. The United States Green Building Council (USGBC) was formed to rate buildings according to environmentally sensitive criteria. They created the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System to provide a national standard.

According to the LEED system, a building can earn a Certified, Silver, Gold or Platinum rating. The guidelines encourage a “whole building” approach to sustainability by evaluating six key areas of human and environmental health:
  • Sustainable Sites
  • Water Efficiency
  • Energy & Atmosphere
  • Materials & Resources
  • Indoor Environmental Quality
  • Innovation & Design