LEED for Homes - What is a LEED home?

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is a non-profit organization that developed the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™. In 2008 the USGBC introduced LEED for Homes, a rating system that promotes the design and construction of high-performance green homes. The LEED for Homes rating system uses eight different resource categories to measure the overall performance of a home. The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) has also developed a green rating system similar to LEED for Homes rating system, but it’s less restrictive and seemingly more accessible to be rated. Both are great systems to assure a properly built house, and time will tell what having two systems competing for attention will bring about.
LEED for Homes uses the following categories for awarding points:

Innovation and Design Process (ID)
The category that includes several types of innovative measures including: special design methods, unique regionally credits, measures not currently addressed in the Rating System, and/or exemplary performance levels.

Location and Linkages (LL)
The placement of homes in socially and environmentally responsible ways in relation to the larger community.

Sustainable Sites
The use of the entire property so as to minimize the project’s impact on the site.

Water Efficiency (WE)
The water conservation practices (both indoor and outdoor) built into the home.

Energy and Atmosphere (EA)
The improvement of energy efficiency particularly in the building envelope and heating and cooling design.

Materials and Resources (MR)
The efficient utilization of materials, selection of environmentally preferable materials, and minimization of waste during construction.

Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ)
The improvement of indoor air quality by reducing possible air pollution.

Awareness and Education (AE)
The education of homeowner, tenant, and building manager (as appropriate in larger multifamily buildings) about the operations and maintenance of the green features of their LEED Home.