Hawaii has made it into the top 10 list of states with buildings that have received LEED ratings, the US Green Building Council announced today.
LEED-certified buildings are designed and operated with a variety of environmental qualities in mind including water savings, energy efficiency, sustainable site development and indoor environmental qualities.
The rankings are based on square feet of LEED space per capita for buildings certified in 2013. The per capita basis allows for a fair ranking among states with wide differences in population and number of buildings, the council said.
LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. The ratings issued by the non-profit council range from Certified to Silver to Gold to Platinum.
Hawaii is ranked ninth on the list with 1.71 square feet of LEED-certified buildings per resident in 2013.
Illinois was No. 1 in the ranking with 2.20 square feet, followed by Maryland, Virginia and Massachusetts. New York and California tied for fifth.
Hawaii had 17 buildings certified for LEED in 2013 with a combined 2.3 million square feet of space.
Those projects included Aulani, Disney’s resort in Kapolei, Oahu, which received a Silver certification. The council said Aulani is the biggest certified project in Hawaii.
Another was the North Kohala Public Library in Kapaau which was awarded a Gold designation.
The library features electricity generated by photovoltaic panels and wind turbines, natural day lighting and rain catchment for non-potable water needs.
The first Platinum designation in the state was awarded in 2010 to the Energy Lab at Hawaii Preparatory Academy in Waimea.
Other Big Island buildings with previous LEED certifications include:
Platinum
Visitor Emergency Operations Center at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Halau Ho`olako Community Center at the Kanu O Ka Aina New Century Public Charter School in Waimea
Hawaii Gateway Energy Center at the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority at Keahole, Kona
Gold
Oceanic Time Warner Cable building in Hilo
Silver
Hilton Waikoloa Dolphin Quest Village in South Kohala
West Hawaii Civic Center in Kailua-Kona
Certified
Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawaii at the University of Hawaii at Hilo
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