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.