Homeowners and contractors have an easy way to find green building products that are sold at Home Depot through their new online database, LEED Home Depot.
The microsite within Home Depot's website is built in conjunction with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).
There are over 2,500 products listed so far, many of which earn points for LEED for Homes certification.
Last year, 17% of new residential construction was green, tripling since 2008, and expected to increase to 29%-38% of the market by 2016, according to a McGraw-Hill Construction report.
Nearly 18,000 housing units have received LEED for Homes certification, and 50% of those are affordable housing, says the USGBC.
According to McGraw-Hill, construction industry professionals report an even steeper increase in green home remodeling; 34% of remodelers expect to be doing mostly green work by 2016, a 150% increase over 2011 activity levels.
Many home builders have shifted to the remodeling market due to the drastic drop in new home construction.
Green building offers opportunities to reduce energy and resource consumption, enabling lower utility costs and critical savings for owners, funding agencies and residents alike. Green developments are also designed to offer superior indoor air quality to protect residents' health and reduce health-care costs, and often provide better access to public transit and local amenities, decreasing the financial burden of transportation.
Here's the LEED Home Depot database:
