The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) today announced that more than 20,000 homes across the U.S. have earned certification through the LEED for Homes program. LEED for Homes is a national voluntary certification system that provides guidance and verification that homes are designed and built to be energy- and resource-efficient and healthy for occupants.

"There are green homes, and then there are LEED homes. This milestone is evidence that the residential market is increasingly recognizing this fact," said Nate Kredich, Vice President of Residential Market Development, USGBC. "LEED for Homes is moving the residential market further and faster towards high-performing, healthy homes that save residents money."

The collection of LEED-certified homes is as varied as the whole of the residential market - from multi- to single-family, from market rate to affordable housing. Since the launch of LEED for Homes in 2008, more than 20,000 residential units have certified with nearly 79,000 additional units in the pipeline. Over half of all LEED-certified homes are in the affordable housing category.

Recently-certified projects include:

• Eight LEED Platinum certified affordable homes in the Coconut Cove development in Cape Coral, Florida, developed by Southwest Florida Affordable Housing Choice Foundation, Inc. and built by Owen-Ames-Kimball Company

• AMLI at Escena, the first two LEED Gold low-rise multifamily buildings in Texas, built by AMLI Residential

• KAPSARC Villa B-19 in Riyadh, one of the first LEED for Homes International Pilot projects to certify - located in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the LEED Silver home is one of 191 single family production homes built by SK Engineering and Construction as part of Phase I for KAPSARC

Green homes are expected to grow to between 29% to 38% of the residential construction market by 2016, equating to $87-$114 billion, according to a 2012 McGraw Hill Construction study.