U.S. Green Building Council: Annual Market for Green Building Products & Services
May 2005
One area where sustainable concepts are being rapidly adopted is in the building industry. Numerous product categories (e.g., photovoltaic panels) have been created and countless new products have been introduced to address the rapidly increasing demand for green products. Examples of new products include recycled-content decking, sustainable harvested lumber, photovoltaic panels and paints, finishes and adhesives.
In response to the need to educate and guide the adoption of green building practices the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) was formed. The USGBC, which is composed of members who are architects, designers, engineers, builders, manufacturers and policy makers, has been the leading force in guiding the standards and rating system for green building. Adoption of the USGBC’s rating system for green building, referred to as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED™) Rating and Certification System has demonstrated explosive growth.
The LEED™ Rating and Certification System certifies buildings at different levels based on points awarded for sustainable milestones such as site selection, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality and innovation and design processes. From a standing start in 2000, more than 1,200 projects have been registered to obtain various levels of LEED certification in four years. Analysts predict that by the end of 2004 there will be 1,700 projects registered for LEED and over 5,600 by 2007.