USGBC South Carolina Announces SC Green Building Trends 2011
January 16, 2012
Dan Gerst
Communications Chair, USGBC SC
Thirty nine buildings in SC were LEED certified in 2011, 15% more than 2010. Greenville and Spartanburg led the state with four new LEED certified buildings each. The largest SC buildings certified in 2011 were the 291,354 SF Franklin Street Properties 1441 Main Street building in Columbia and the 188,294 SF Tanger Outlet Center on Hilton Head Island.
Of the 2011 SC LEED Certified projects, 38% achieved LEED Gold, 23% more than the state average. Notable projects certified in 2011 include:
1. Platinum – CRC Federal Building in Charleston
2. Gold – 291,354 SF Franklin Street Properties in Columbia
3. Gold – 175,506 SF Furman University, Townes Science Complex in Greenville, SC.
4. Gold – 80,928 SF Kershaw County School District in Camden
5. Gold – 21,600 SF YMCA of Coastal Carolina in Georgetown
The people who live, work, learn and play in buildings should be what we care about most, said USGBC SC Executive Director, Melissa Le Roy. 2011 was a difficult year for much of the SC building industry, but in many areas, the hunger for sustainable development kept the markets moving.
The largest number of the SC LEED certified projects overall has been from the Higher Education sector. The top Higher Education owners by number of LEED Certified buildings:
1. Clemson 13
2. University of SC 10
3. Furman 8
4. Coastal Carolina University 3
5. Wofford 2
The top SC cities by number of LEED Certified buildings
1. Greenville: 22
2. Columbia: 13
3. Spartanburg: 9
4. Charleston: 7
5. Clemson: 4
The top SC cities by amount of LEED Certified SF
1. North Charleston 12,715,069
2. Greenville 2,383,664
3. Graniteville 2,000,000
4. Columbia 1,051,740
5. Spartanburg 578,234
USGBC’s LEED green building certification system is the foremost program for the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of green buildings. Over 44,000 projects currently participate in the LEED rating system, comprising over 9 billion square feet of construction space in all 50 states and 117 countries. In addition, over 10,000 homes have been certified under the LEED for Homes rating system, with nearly 50,000 more homes registered.
About USGBC-SC Chapter
USGBC South Carolina Chapter is a nonprofit membership organization whose mission is to transform the way buildings and communities are designed, built and operated in South Carolina, enabling an environmentally and socially responsible, healthy, and prosperous environment that improves the quality of life. Formed in 2004, and currently 400 members strong across the state, USGBC SC is a chapter of the United States Green Building Council, the nation’s foremost coalition of leaders from across the building industry working to significantly reduce or eliminate the negative impact of buildings on their occupants and on our environment.
U.S. Green Building Council SC
The U.S. Green Building Council SC is committed to a prosperous and sustainable future for our state through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings. With a community comprising over 1,300 LEED Professionals, USGBC SC is a diverse constituency of builders, architects, engineers, environmentalists, corporations, nonprofit organizations, elected officials, and concerned citizens.
Buildings in the United States are responsible for 39% of CO2 emissions, 40% of the energy consumption, and thirteen percent of water consumption. This makes green building a source of significant economic and environmental opportunity. Greater building efficiency can meet 85% of future U.S. demand for energy, and green building has the potential to generate thousands of SC jobs.
By using less energy, LEED-certified buildings save money for families, businesses and taxpayers; reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and contribute to a healthier environment for residents, workers and the larger community.
