LEED rating system for green building gains influence

By DANA HULL | San Jose Mercury News

last updated: October 01, 2012 04:49:03 PM   Posted on Tue, Oct. 02, 2012

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- ]

Twelve years ago, the U.S. Green Building Council launched a rating system called LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, hoping that architects, engineers, designers and real estate firms would improve energy efficiency and increase the use of recycled materials and nontoxic paint in their projects to win "LEED-certified" recognition.

Now LEED has grown into a powerful brand and global phenomenon. There are 14,044 LEED-certified commercial projects, covering more than 2 billion square feet, in 140 countries. Another 34,601 projects are in the pipeline.

"Green building is not a curiosity anymore - it's a huge market," said Aditya Ranade, a senior analyst with Lux Research in Boston. "The green building sector will be a $280 billion global industry by the end of the decade. LEED is dominant around the world, but there are other standards. Malaysia has its own Green Building Index, and China has developed its own three-star rating system."

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