Dot Facts
- Buildings certified under the U.S. Green Building Council's (USGBC) LEED certification system are, on average, performing 25-30% better than non-LEED certified buildings in terms of energy use.
- Gold and Platinum LEED certified buildings have average energy savings approaching 50%.
- LEED buildings command rent premiums of $11.24 per square foot over their non-LEED peers and have 3.8 percent higher occupancy.
- Lighting is commonly responsible for up to 30 percent of electric costs in commercial buildings.
- In the US, buildings account for 70% of electricity consumption.
- In the US, buildings account for 39% of energy use.
- In the US, buildings account for 39% of all carbon dioxide emissions.
- In the US, buildings account for 40% of raw materials use.
- In the US, buildings account for 12% of potable water consumption.
- There are more than 600 buildings certified under the US Green Building Council\'s LEED program.
- Vulcan Real Estate's Westlake Terry Building is the city of Seattle's first private, new construction LEED Gold Certified building.
- Xeriscape techniques can reduce outdoor water use by 30-50 percent.
- Global water consumption is doubling every 20 years, twice the rate of population growth. (Environmental Defense Fund, 2003)
- Urban stormwater runoff is the largest source of impairment in US coastal waters and the second largest source of water pollution in US estuaries. (Environmental Protection Agency, 2000)
- The average household uses over 22,000 gallons of water per year just for showers and baths.
- Coffee, bananas, rice, tomatoes, corn, potatoes, chocolate, sugar, spices, wicker, rubber, vanilla, oranges, lemons, limes and peanuts are some of the products that were discovered in tropical rainforests.