Washington D.C. — The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announces the launch of a one-year pilot demonstration of its newest green building rating system, LEED for Homes. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for Homes Rating System is a voluntary program that will recognize and reward the top 25 percent of green homebuilders in terms of environmentally sound construction. New homes built to the LEED standards will be designed and constructed to use less energy, less water and fewer materials. The LEED homes will provide improved indoor air quality through better ventilation and filtration systems design, and improved controls of pollutant sources.

“The residential market is a new area for LEED and USGBC,” said Rick Fedrizzi, USGBC president, CEO and founding chair. “The homes market is in line with our mission of transforming the built environment on all levels. These LEED homes will help lower operating costs, increase home value, reduce maintenance issues and improve indoor environmental quality.”

The new rating system builds on the success of the existing LEED rating systems that focus on commercial buildings, while addressing the unique needs of the residential market. One of those needs is local support for homebuilders. In a new approach for LEED, the USGBC has created the LEED for Homes Providers who will provide support services to builders of LEED homes during the pilot phase. Please visit www.usgbc.org for more information.