Colorado Ranks 2nd in Green Building Leadership

Colorado is in the No. 2 spot on the Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) Top 10 States annual list with 102 LEED projects certified in 2014. Those projects total 15.8 million square feet of LEED space (or 3.14 square feet per resident) and a total number of 700 LEED certified projects. Last year, Colorado ranked No. 8.

LEED is part of the U.S. Green Building Council, a 13,000 member organization with 200,000 LEED professional credential holders internationally in 76 chapters.

LEED certification is internationally recognized as the leading designation for the best green building strategies and practices that give people a healthier, more productive experience while offering views of nature and sunlight. It takes into consideration everything from a building’s design and construction to its operation, all of which make the building energy efficient, high-performing and cost-effective. It also includes neighborhood development.

LEED buildings reduce environmental consequences and increase savings that result in heightened building value, higher lease rates and decreased utility costs. Companies using LEED include 88 of the Fortune 500 firms.

LEED internationally includes more than 60,000 projects in more than 150 countries and territories that total more than 11 billion square feet.