The USGBC, a non-profit organization dedicated to sustainable and green building design, has released a report sharing the growth of green housing.

According to the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED in Motion: Residential report, there are as many as 150,000 LEED-certified green housing units worldwide, a number that more than doubled between 2011 and 2012 and continues to grow steadily.

The report also details the U.S. states with the most LEED-certified homes, with California in the number one spot, followed by New York and Texas. LEED-certified homes provide 20 to 30 percent savings in energy and water use compared to code-built homes, and they maximize fresh air indoors while minimizing exposure to airborne toxins and pollutants.

"Our homes are more than just spaces that provide shelter," said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair, USGBC. "Homes touch practically every aspect of our lives and are a critical element of our overall sense of safety, identity and community. Enhancing our homes' efficiency and resilience offers an extraordinary opportunity to further the revolution in sustainable building and living practices so that it ripples outward to our communities. As demonstrated in LEED in Motion: Residential, this movement is already well under way."

LEED in Motion: Residential also highlights the importance of local policy in spurring the uptake of green homes as well as noting the important connections between green homes and occupant health and well-being.

The report is currently available as a free download on the USGBC website at go.usgbc.org/homes.

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