For Designers

LEED® for Homes

LEED for Homes is an initiative designed to promote the transformation of the mainstream home building industry toward more sustainable practices. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and is administered by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

The LEED Rating System is the nationally recognized standard for green building that recognizes builders for meeting high standards in terms of durability, health, reduced environmental impact, and energy efficiency.

LEED for Homes was started as a pilot program in 2005. The pilot test concluded in spring 2007 and USGBC launched the LEED for Homes rating system in January 2008.

Download the latest rating system of LEED for Homes. (January 2008)

The role of energy-efficient windows in LEED for Homes
In order to achieve different levels of LEED certification, homes must qualify for a certain number of credit points in different resource categories (energy and atmosphere, sustainable sites, materials and resources, etc.).

The selection of windows influences the number of LEED points that can be attained in the Energy and Atmosphere category. The baseline for this category is a home that meets the minimum criteria for an ENERGY STAR® qualified home. For exceeding these minimum criteria, a home receives LEED points.

Just as there are two alternative ways how a home can qualify for ENERGY STAR - achieving a specific home energy rating score or a combination of home features that meet specific performance levels - there are two alternative ways how a home can gain LEED points:

A. Gain points for a home energy rating score showing that the home as a whole exceeds the minimum performance of an ENERGY STAR Home. Windows influence this score through different variables such as their U-factor and SHGC, orientation, and size.

B. Gain points for individual home features (insulation, windows, water heater, etc.) that exceed the performance levels set for these features by the ENERGY STAR Homes program. Windows can contribute 2 or 3 points if their NFRC-rated energy performance values meet the following levels:

LEED credits	Metric	Energy Star Zones
		Northern	North Central	South Central	Southern
Energy Star (prerequisite)	U-factor	.35	.40	.40	.55
	SHGC	Any	.45	.40	.35
2 LEED points	U-factor	0.31	0.35	0.35	0.55
	SHGC	Any	0.40	0.35	0.33
3 LEED points	U-factor	0.28	0.32	0.32	0.55
	SHGC	Any	0.40	0.30	0.30

Note 1: For Homes with a Window-to-Floor Area (WFA) ratio of more than 18 % in the North or North Central Zones, the U-factor requirements shown above are modified as follows:
Maximum U-factor = [0.18 / WFA] x [relevant U-factor as shown in table above]

Note 2: For Homes with a Window-to-Floor Area (WFA) ratio of more than 18 % in South or South Central Zones, the SHGC requirements shown above are modified as follows:
Maximum SHGC = [0.18 / WFA] x [relevant SHGC as shown in table above]

To find the correct Energy Star Zone for your location, consult the below map or visit the Energy Star Climate Zone Finder.