Home building and design television shows have been on the air for many years. What's different today is that programming is increasingly focused on ways to build green to construct homes that together protect the environment and deliver the dream of homeownership. In fact, in a recent episode of ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, the show built a zero-energy house, a home that conserved energy so well it was able to sell energy back to the power grid.

Savvy builders are jumping on the bandwagon, realizing that green building is no longer about being environmentally friendly, but is more about successfully generating profits by meeting the needs of today's energy-conscious consumer.

The green building construction market has grown from zero in 2000 to $33 billion at the end of 2004, said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO of the U.S. Green Building Council .

With numbers like these, we can't ignore the importance of green buildings.

To further its mission to promote green buildings, the USGBC recently announced the launch of a one-year pilot demonstration of its newest rating system, LEED for Homes. The Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) for Homes Rating System is a voluntary program that will recognize and reward the top 25 percent of green home builders in terms of environmentally sound construction. New homes built to the LEED standards will be designed and constructed to use less energy, less water and fewer materials.

"The residential market is a new area for LEED and USGBC," added Fedrizzi. "The homes market is in line with our mission of transforming the built environment on all levels. These LEED homes will help lower operating costs, increase home value, reduce maintenance issues and improve indoor environmental quality."

The new rating system for homes builds on the success of the existing LEED rating systems that focus on commercial buildings. LEED For Homes addresses the unique needs of the residential market, one of which is local support for home builders. LEED for Homes Providers who will offer support services to builders of LEED homes during the pilot phase. Providers are local and regional organizations that have been selected to provide technical, marketing and verification support services to builders. Through a highly competitive national process, USGBC selected 12 local Providers who were chosen based on qualifications and experience in supporting builders in the construction of high performance, sustainable homes. Only these select providers will be eligible to work with the builders in the delivery of LEED for Homes during the year-long pilot.

During the pilot phase, the LEED for Homes Providers will also be responsible for selecting the appropriate pilot projects. They will verify that the homes built under the LEED rating system meet the system's requirements.

Home builders interested in taking part in the LEED for Homes pilot can submit an application online .

The U.S. Green Building Council is the nation's foremost coalition of leaders from across the building industry working to promote buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places to live and work. Since its founding in 1993, the Council has grown to more than 5,700 member companies and organizations and has a 60-person professional staff that provides a broad portfolio of LEED products and services including the industry's popular Greenbuild International Conference and Exposition.

The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System is a voluntary third party rating system in which building projects earn credits for meeting specified green building criteria. Projects are evaluated within six environmental categories: Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy and Atmosphere, Materials and Resources, and Indoor Environmental Quality. Certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum levels of green building certification are awarded based on the total credits earned. The LEED Rating System has been adopted nationwide by federal agencies, state and local governments, and interested private companies as the industry standard of measurement for green building.