Which state added the most LEED-certified buildings in 2012?
Each year, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) releases a list of the top 10 states for new LEED certifications and although it's not exactly a state, Washington DC got the top spot for the second year in a row.
The District of Columbia added 36.97 square feet of LEED-certified space per resident in 2012. Nearby Virginia earned the #2 spot, followed by Colorado, Massachusetts and Illinois.
LEED for Existing Buildings accounted for 53% of these certifications, following the trend toward renovation rather than new construction. 32% of certifications were for LEED for New Construction.
Significant projects in Washington DC include the U.S. Mint Building, which secured LEED-Gold for Existing Buildings, and Woodrow Wilson High School, which achieved LEED-Gold for Schools.
In Virginia, Cooper Vineyards is the first East Coast winery to achieve LEED-Platinum, and the Emily Couric Clinical Cancer Center at the University of Virginia secured LEED-Gold.
A notable project in Massachusetts is Atlantic Wharf. This first skyscraper to be certified in Boston earned LEED-Platinum. The Genzyme Biologics Support Center, an administrative and scientific laboratory facility, received LEED-Gold.
New York's Destiny USA project achieved LEED-Gold for Core & Shell, making it the largest LEED-certified super-regional shopping center in the nation. The Dormitory Authority of the State of New York secured LEED-Gold for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance.
Nevada makes the list of top states for the time. The Green Flag Facility at Nellis Air Force Base got LEED-Silver and the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada's Bonneville Transit Center is the third Platinum-certified project in Southern Nevada.
Here's the ranking:
|
Rank
|
State
|
Square feet
|
Per capita
|
| |
District of Columbia
|
22,246,445
|
36.97
|
|
1
|
Virginia
|
29,709,574
|
3.71
|
|
2
|
Colorado
|
10,553,881
|
2.10
|
|
3
|
Massachusetts
|
13,395,597
|
2.05
|
|
4
|
Illinois
|
24,949,997
|
1.94
|
|
5
|
Maryland
|
10,954,324
|
1.90
|
|
6
|
New York
|
34,378,286
|
1.77
|
|
7
|
Washington
|
10,521,177
|
1.56
|
|
8
|
California
|
54,252,993
|
1.46
|
|
9
|
Texas
|
36,017,979
|
1.43
|
|
10
|
Nevada
|
3,741,941
|
1.39
|
Worldwide, more than 15,000 commercial projects have LEED certification and 35,000 more are in the pipeline, for a total of 10.3 billion square feet.
Learn which states added the most LEED certified buildings last year.
