Making it’s debut in January 2008, LEED for Homes is the United States Green Building Council’s™ (USGBC) rating system for residential home construction that promotes the design of high-performance green homes. Benefits of a LEED (or any green Verified home) include lower energy and water bills; reduced greenhouse gas emissions; and less exposure to mold, mildew and other indoor toxins. Because the green building market is rapidly changing, LEED-H is currently usable but is undergoing redevelopment. The next version of LEED for Homes is slated for public release in 2011. Four hierarchy levels are available, (bronze, silver, gold, platinum) with a minimum 40 point certification threshold. Available points for engineered wood products are shown in the table below.
| Section/Location | Points Available | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| MR Credit 5: Regional Materials | 1-2 | Use building materials that have been extracted, harvested or recovered, as well as manufactured, within 500 miles of the project site for a minimum of 10% or 20% (based on cost). |
| MR Credit 7: Certified Wood | 1 | Minimum 50% (based on cost) of wood-based materials that are FSC only certified. Structural framing, flooring, sub-flooring, wood doors and finishes. |
| IEQ Credit 4.4: Low-Emitting Materials—Composite Wood and Agrifiber Products | 1 | Composite wood and agrifiber products used on the interior of the building must contain no added urea-formaldehyde resins. |
