Quantifying the Impact of LEED
Destination Hotels & Resorts officially entered into the LEED arena. In January 2010, Sunriver Resort’s two newest construction projects, the Sunriver Resort Marina and Sunriver Stables Trail Ride Registration Facility, received LEED Silver Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. One LEED certified building is a major victory for the built environment. Two LEED certified buildings is even better! As more buildings earn this prestigious certification, can the aggregate positive effects on the environment be quantified?
GreenBiz.com took a stab at it in their State of Green Business 2010:
- Total water savings from LEED through 2009 is estimated at 15 billion gallons, comprising 0.5 percent of annual non-residential water use. By 2030, LEED results in nearly 1.3 trillion gallons of saved water, equivalent to 30 percent of current annual non-residential water use.
- Annual carbon dioxide savings from LEED buildings is approximately 2.9 million tons from energy efficiency and renewables, a figure that is expected to grow to 130 million tons per year by 2020 and almost 320 million tons annually by 2030.
- An average of at least 580,000 employees are currently enjoying improved indoor environments in LEED buildings at present, and the “green building workforce” is expected to approach 29 million by 2020 and almost 64 million by 2030. The productivity benefits from LEED buildings to date range from $230 to $450 million.
