Auditors for the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program have registered and certified more than 100,000 commercial facilities across the globe. LEED certification is pacing more than 2.5 million-plus square feet of space daily, the group notes, signifying how project teams and owners are going “above and beyond to ensure a building is designed, constructed, operated and performing to the highest level of sustainability.”
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Multifamily lender lowers interest rates for LEED-certified projects
Sources: U.S. Green Building Council, Washington, D.C.; CP staff
As part of its Multifamily Green Initiative, Fannie Mae is granting a 10 basis point reduction in the interest rate of a refinance, acquisition or supplemental mortgage loan for a multifamily property carrying certification or recognition under USGBC LEED, EPA Energy Star or Enterprise Green Communities programs. On a $10 million dollar loan amortizing over 30 years, an owner would save $95,000 in interest payments across a 10-year term based on 3.9 percent versus 4 percent market rate.
Read MoreLEED certification strongest in Illinois, gaining in the South, Southwest
Source: U.S. Green Building Council
Now in its fifth year, the USGBC’s Top 10 States for LEED Green Building Per Capita in Nation ranking is based on 2010 U.S. Census data and includes commercial and institutional green building projects that were certified throughout 2014. Illinois retained its top national position for a second consecutive year, with 174 LEED certifications representing 3.31 square feet of LEED-certified space per resident.
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