LEED™ (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a national green building certification system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).  A voluntary system developed through a consensus process, LEED sets the standard for high-performance green buildings.  It is based on well-founded scientific standards, accepted principles and best practices.

The first LEED tool developed by the USGBC was for new construction commercial buildings. LEED for Homes (LEED-H) is a recent development, still in pilot stage. The program should be generally available in 2007.  Additional information is available on the LEED-H website. 

To learn more about how the City of Seattle uses the LEED program, see our LEED page.