Costs and Benefits
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Affordable
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Comparable Costs to Conventional Homes
o
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A 2008 study conducted by McGraw-Hill Construction and the U.S. Green Building
Council found that the mean price of green homes purchased by survey respondents was
$296,000; the median was $239,000.
Green homes can be built for the same and even less than conventional homes.
Sometimes there are upfront costs which on average are 2.4%, and can be quickly
recouped with the homeowners saving money for the rest of the home’s lifespan.
Lower Utility Bills
o
Green homes have lower utility costs. The typical household spends $1,900 a year on
energy bills.By choosing ENERGY STAR-rated products, consumers can cut this by
30%, saving about $600 each year on energy bills 1 .
D
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D
Higher Resale Value
o It’s predicted that green homes will be on the market for less time and possibly have a
higher resale value than comparable conventional homes 2 .
D
D
 Green Residential Construction
o McGraw Hill Construction estimates that the green market was 2% of residential starts in
2005; 6-10% in 2008; and will be 12-20% by 2013 3 .
D
D
Energy Consumption

Households use about one-fifth of the total energy consumed in the United States each year; the
residential sector is responsible for 21% of the nation’s carbon dioxide emissions 4 .
Since 1985, Residential energy consumption, measured as total energy (i.e., including electricity
losses), increased overall by about 34 percent 5 .
To date, nearly 840,000 ENERGY STAR-qualified homes constructed save consumers an
estimated $200 million annually in utility bills 6 .
Based on their Home Energy Rating System (HERS) scores, the average home certified under
LEED for Homes since its launch in February 2008 is predicted to use an estimated 30-60% less
energy than a comparable home built to International Energy Conservation Code. Based on the
average HERS ratings for each level of LEED certification, these homes could potentially see
energy reductions of:
o
Certified: Up to 30%.
o
Silver: Approximately 30%.
o
Gold: Approximately 48%.
o
Platinum: 50-60%.
D
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D
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D
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D
D
D
Water Consumption
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Total U.S. residential energy consumption is projected to increase 17 percent from 1995 - 2015 7 .
Residential total water use: 28.03 billion gallons per day OR 6.9% of U.S. total water use 8 .
Waste
D
D
D
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 Total estimated C&D generation amount for residential construction in 2003: 10 million tons
Average residential C&D debris generation rate in 2003: 4.39 pounds per square foot 9 .
D
D
LEED for Homes Rating System
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To date, 10,161 homes have received LEED for Homes certification, and 48,391 are registered for
certification.
38 LEED for Homes Providers administer the LEED for Homes program at the local level.
*Numbers as of March 2011
1
] U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ENERGY STAR (2007). Residential Home Improvement: An
Overview of Energy Use and Energy Efficiency Opportunities (August 2007).
http://www.energystar.gov/ia/business/challenge/learn_more/ResidentialHomeImprovement.pdf
2 McGraw-Hill SmartMarket Report (2007). Attitudes & Preferences for Remodeling and Buying Green
Homes.
3 McGraw-Hill Construction (2009). 2009 Green Outlook: Trends Driving Change Report.
4 U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration.
5 Energy Efficiency Trends in Residential and Commercial Buildings. October 2008. U.S. Department of
Energy. http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/publications/pdfs/corporate/bt_stateindustry.pdf
6 EPA. ENERGY STAR™ Overview of 2007 Achievements,
http://www.epa.gov/appdstar/pdf/2007overview.pdf
7 U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration
8 U.S. Geological Survey (2000). Estimated Use of Water in the United States.
9 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2009). Estimating 2009 Building-Related Construction and
Demolition Materials Amounts.