LEED for Homes
LEADERSHIP IN ENERGY & ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN (LEED) is the US Green Building Council’s internationally-recognized green building certification system that provides building owners and operators with a framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations, and maintenance solutions.
Certification is the final step in the LEED review process There are four levels of certification - the number of points a project earns determines the level of LEED certification that the project will receive. Typical certification thresholds are: CERTIFIED 40-49 Points; SILVER 50-59; Points GOLD 60-79; Points PLATINUM 80+ Points Our Preliminary Point Total: 108.5
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LEED for Homes is a voluntary rating system that promotes the design and construction of high-performance green homes, including affordable housing, mass-production homes, custom designs, stand-alone single-family homes, duplexes and townhouses, suburban and urban apartments and condominiums and lofts in historic buildings.
LEED focuses on eight key impact categories
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Innovation in Design
Rewards the use of innovative technologies and strategies to improve a building’s performance well beyond what is required by other LEED credits, or to reward green building considerations that are not specifically addressed elsewhere in the LEED rating system. 
Awareness & Education
Encourages home builders and real estate professionals to provide homeowners, tenants and building managers with the education and tools they need to understand what makes their home green and how to make the most of those features. 
Indoor Environmental Quality
Promotes strategies that improve indoor air quality as well as those that provide occupant access to natural daylight and views and improve acoustics. 
Materials & Resources
Encourages the selection of sustainably grown, harvested, produced, and transported products and materials. Promotes waste reduction as well as reuse and recycling, and espcially rewards the reduction of waste at a product’s source. |
Locations & Linkages
Encourages building on previously developed and infill sites and away from environmentally sensitive areas. Rewards homes that are built near existing infrastructure, community resources, and transit and in locations with access to open space for walking, physical activity and time outdoors. 
Sustainable Sites
Discourages building on previously undeveloped land; seeks to minimize a building’s impact on ecosystems; encourages regionally appropriate landscaping; rewards smart transportation choices; and promotes reduction of stormwater runoff, erosion, heat island effect and construction-related pollution. 
Water Efficiency
Encourages smarter use of water, inside and out. Water reduction is typically achieved through more efficient appliances, fixtures and fittings inside, and water-conscious landscaping outside. 
Energy & Atmosphere
Encourages commissioning; energy use monitoring; efficient design and construction; efficient appliances, systems, and lighting; the use of renewable and clean sources of energy, generated on-site or off-site; and other innovative measures. |
VIDEO: Benefits of a LEED-Certified Home
Video courtesy of the USGBC