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Maryland Ranks No. 6 in Nation for LEED Certifications in 2012

University of Maryland's campus have some examples of LEED projects.

 

Maryland ranks No. 6 in the nation for new LEED certifications, according to a report released by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

The LEED designation stands for "Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design" and provides a measureable and verifiable review of a building's design, construction, operation and maintenance from an environmental impact point of view.

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USGBC's rankings are based on the number of square feet of LEED-certified space per resident.

Maryland clocks in at No. 6 with a 127 projects totalling 10,954,324 square feet of LEED-certified space, equating to 1.90 square feet per person. Maryland's 2012 per-person rate is just 0.04 behind Illinois.

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Univerity of Maryland has several LEED certified buildings, including two that have a LEED Gold designation. Vansville Elementary in Beltsville is also certified LEED Gold.

The Mid-Atlantic is well represented in top of the rankings, with the District of Columbia overwhelmingly the No. 1 area with 36.97 square feet per person, and Virginia at 3.71 square feet per person.

According to the USGBC's website, to earn a LEED certification a building must earn a minimum of 40 points on a 110-point LEED rating system which reviews aspects such as sustainability, water efficiency, energy use and atmosphere, use of sustainable materials and resources and indoor environmental quality. 

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