Platinum is the highest rating in the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) green building certification program. Building projects that have attained this rating are among the greenest in the world.*

I recently added newly certified Platinum-rated projects (buildings, homes, offices, and stores) to my online listing of LEED Platinum Certified Building Projects Worldwide, which I had last updated a year ago. The listing is organized by country and—within the U.S.—by state. Some of the listed projects are linked to online case studies. The listing includes projects of all types, from every LEED rating system: New Construction (and Major Renovations), Existing Buildings/Operations & Maintenance, Neighborhood Developments, Commercial Interiors, Core & Shell, Homes, Schools, and Retail.

As of my latest review of the data (at the beginning of January 2012), it appears that there are now more than 1,045 LEED Platinum rated projects worldwide.

While the vast majority of LEED projects—almost 950 of them—are located in the United States (where LEED was created), Platinum rated projects now exist in 25 countries; a year ago only 16 countries had LEED Platinum rated projects. The nine countries that gained their first LEED Platinum projects over the past year are: France, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Taiwan, and Turkey. The other countries with LEED Platinum projects are: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Finland, Germany, Great Britain, India, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, and of course the United States. After the U.S., India is the country with the most Platinum projects, with about 35 projects so far (up from 20 a year ago). Canada and China also have many Platinum projects.

Within the United States, 49 of the 50 U.S. states (all states except North Dakota)—plus Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico—now have building projects that have achieved the LEED Platinum rating. A year ago, Alabama and West Virginia did not yet have any LEED Platinum projects, but now they do.

In terms of the absolute number of LEED Platinum certified projects in each state, here are the top 5 states with the greatest number of LEED Platinum projects (at last count):

• California (164 projects)
• Oregon (64)
• New York (61)
• Texas (51)
• Massachusetts (40)

So California has more than 2.5 times more Platinum projects than any other state—but that’s not too surprising since it’s the most populous state in the country.  On a per capita basis (i.e., as a percentage of population size), Washington D.C. has more LEED Platinum rated projects than any of the states. And when you add in the 50 states, here are the Top 5 with the greatest number of LEED Platinum projects per capita:

1. Washington, D.C.
2. Oregon
3. Montana
4. Vermont
5. New Mexico

The range of Platinum project types is very broad. In addition to high-profile projects (such as the iconic TransAmerica Pyramid in San Francisco, which got the Platinum rating for its upgrades under the LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance rating system) and a number of high-end offices, retail spaces, and luxury residences, LEED Platinum projects also include several public buildings and many modest homes and affordable housing developments. For example, there are dozens of Habitat for Humanity-built LEED Platinum homes around the country, and more than 75 affordable Platinum homes built in New Orleans alone through various initiatives, including Make It Right.

* Another green building certification, which is widely considered to be an even higher bar to reach than LEED Platinum, is the Living Building Challenge. To date, four projects have achieved the Living Building Challenge certification: the Tyson Living Learning Center in Eureka, Missouri; the Omega Center for Sustainable Living in Rhinebeck, New York (which also got a LEED Platinum certification); and the Eco-Sense home in Victoria, British Columbia. The latest project to achieve this certification (along with a LEED Platinum certification) is the Hawaii Preparatory Academy Energy Lab in Kamuela, Hawaii.

Some people might call me a chocolate enthusiast…or, a chocoholic. I crave chocolate. And I usually indulge this craving, because after all, dark chocolate has been proven to have a slew of health (physical and mental/mood) benefits.

I have a little bit of chocolate almost every day. Not a lot on any given day, mind you…but since my cumulative consumption of chocolate is considerable, I’ve been very pleased to find that many of my favorite chocolate bars are made by companies that address the social and environmental issues related to the production of chocolate.

The following chocolates are a few of my favorites; and they are all made with organic ingredients and/or their cacao has been sourced through fair-trade arrangements. Some of them also support other types of sustainability or conservation programs and practices, which are noted below. I am not being paid to recommend any of these companies or products.

1. TCHO

• Organic (certified by CCOF)
• Fair trade (certified by Fair Trade USA)
• Started the TCHOSource program “to obtain the best beans in the world while enabling the producers of those beans to earn a better living.” They “partner with growers and coops and transfer knowledge about growing and fermentation to enable farmers to escape commodity production and become premium producers and to create a relationship of mutual self-interest that goes beyond Fair Trade.”
• They also “raise consciousness about the reality of modern slavery in our industry and in the world, and set an example by refusing to use cacao produced by slaves.”
• Manufactured in San Francisco

I recently tried TCHO’s SeriousMilk Milk Chocolate “Cacao” bar (with 53% cacao), and I think this has now become my #1 favorite chocolate bar.  It’s the perfect balance between milk and dark chocolate. I look forward to trying their other bars, as well.

2. Newman’s Own Organics

• 100% organic (certified by Oregon Tilth)
• Rainforest Alliance Certified, which “guarantees that the cocoa in our Signature Series was grown on farms that meet comprehensive standards for sustainable farming, protecting soil, waterways and wildlife habitat as well as the rights and welfare of workers, their families and communities.”
• “We have confirmed in writing that the cocoa products we purchase have been produced on farms that treat their workers fairly, and pay them a fair wage. Our suppliers do not and will not support any farms or plantations that mistreat children and adults or engage in Slave Trade Practices.”

My favorite Newman’s Own Organics bar is: Dark Chocolate (54% cocoa), which is a light/creamy dark chocolate.

3. Endangered Species Chocolate

• Some of their bars are organic (certified by Oregon Tilth)
• “10% of net profits donated to charitable organizations supporting species and habitat conservation in harmony with humanity”
• “100% ethically traded: Cacao used to create our All-Natural and Organic chocolate products is grown on farm co-ops that foster responsible labor practices, community enrichment and sustainable farming… On-the-ground endeavors, like Project Ecuador are helping empower communities in cacao growing regions.”
• “All of our chocolate is shade-grown.  Shade-grown chocolate supports lush forests and the species that thrive there promoting biodiversity, providing shelter for migratory birds, and combating global warming.”
• Information about an endangered species is provided inside each wrapper.

My favorite Endangered Species Chocolate bar (that I’ve tried so far) is: Dark chocolate with Cranberries and Almonds.

4. Seeds of Change

• Organic (certified by QAI)
• “Directly contributes 1% of its net sales to sustainable organic farming initiatives worldwide.”

I’ve had their Milk Chocolate, and Milk Chocolate with Puffed Grains, and they were really tasty. I haven’t tried their various dark chocolate products yet, though I plan to. (One point against this company’s chocolates: I don’t love that they put 3 small, individually wrapped bars inside of the larger package. Though the smaller serving sizes are good for portion control and for keeping the unopened chocolate fresh, using that extra wrapping material seems a bit wasteful.)

You can find many or all of these chocolates at most Whole Foods stores and other natural foods stores. There are a number of other companies that make organic chocolate and/or fair trade chocolate (e.g., Dagoba, Theo, Angell, and Divine, to name just a few; commenters have also recommended Taza and Green & Black’s). I haven’t gotten around to trying all of them yet, but I surely will in the near future…

P.S. Fine chocolate makes a great last-minute gift for any chocolate lovers you know!

What’s your favorite kind of organic or “ethical” chocolate?

About a year ago, I posted a piece with tips, ideas, and considerations for selecting green gifts. Here’s a summary recap of the 7 types of gifts I suggested in that post:

1. Non-“stuff”  (e.g., activities, services, or donations, rather than products)
2. Homemade, handmade, or homegrown stuff
3. Locally made or Fair Trade goods
4. Products with green attributes or purposes
5. Re-gifted items or lightly used finds
6. Eminently useful things
7. Small stuff

Take a look at last year’s post to see the specific ideas that I suggested within each of those categories. This year, I’d like to supplement those suggestions with a few more. In addition to the criteria listed above, you also might want to consider choosing the following types of gifts:

• Products (or services) made and sold by small, independent (and ideally local) businesses, rather than national chains or multi-national corporations. Or at least try to buy things that were Made in the USA (or whichever country you live in) to help boost the domestic economy.
• Goods made or sold by companies that are members of the 1% for the Planet campaign: “a growing global movement of 1,395 companies [as of Nov. 2011] that donate 1% of their sales to a network of 2,691 environmental organizations worldwide.”
• Goods made or sold by Certified B Corporations (or Benefit Corporations), which “are a new type of corporation which uses the power of business to solve social and environmental problems.” As of Nov. 7, 2011, there are 451 Certified B Corporations. That number will be growing, as more companies achieve this certification and as more states pass laws establishing the legitimacy of Benefit Corporations. One of the Founding B Corporations is BetterWorldBooks.

Speaking of books, here are a few green-themed books that might interest some of the people on your gift list:

• Beautiful and Abundant: Building the World We Want, by Bryan Welch (2010)
• Reinventing Fire: Bold Business Solutions for the New Energy Era, by Amory Lovins, Rocky Mountain Institute (2011)
• Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life, by Barbara Kingsolver (2007)

Also, I might as well mention a few green product brands that are personal favorites of mine: Newman’s Own Organics (their 54% Dark Chocolate bars are exceptionally good); Seeds of Change; Sustainable Seed Co.; Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds; EO organic body care products; and Patagonia. I am not getting paid to recommend any of these companies.

Lastly, here are some online resources for additional information on green products and reducing wasteful consumption:

• Green America: click on the Green Gift Guide, Responsible Shopper, and Fair Trade links
• Center for a New American Dream: Simplify the Holidays
• Good Guide: ratings of safe, green, healthy, and ethical products
• SustainLane: green product and service reviews

Take a peek at The Green Spotlight’s Facebook Page to see our daily blurbs and links. Anyone can view the page, whether or not you have a Facebook account. But if you do have an account, be sure to click on the “Like” button to join our growing online community (if you haven’t already); then you should be able to see The Green Spotlight’s posts in your daily Facebook news feed.

Please visit the Page to get a sense of the wide variety of topics that are featured. Here’s a sampling of a few of the solutions, efforts, and success stories that we’ve spotlighted on the page in recent weeks:

• the electric DeLorean, coming out in 2013
• LEED for Homes Awards: this year’s winning projects
• hybrid wind/solar systems
• Reinventing Fire, the new book by Amory Lovins
• Earthjustice
• Global Community Monitor
• Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition
• Green Corps’ Field School for Environmental Organizing
• Silent Spring Institute
• Arctic Live
• Revenge of the Electric Car (new documentary)
• CleanTech Open: this year’s finalists and Forum
• Brower Youth Awards: videos and info about this year’s winners
• Solar Decathlon home design competition’s winning projects
• DIY solar installations in Ypsilanti, Michigan
• how to size a solar PV system for charging an electric car
• B Corporation legislation passed in California
• quotations from Ray Anderson, Buckminster Fuller, Annie Dillard, and others

This is a listing of green-themed films that came out in the last few years. I have not seen all of these films, so I can’t say that all of them are worth seeing, but many of them have won awards or been critically acclaimed. Click on the links below (or go to IMDB.com) to see previews/trailers, reviews, and descriptions of each film. Scroll to the bottom of the post to see a list of some green film festivals; those sites provide videos and information on even more films.

Films on energy, fuel, and/or climate change:

• The Last Mountain (2011)
• Revenge of the Electric Car (2011)*
• The Island President (2011)
• GASLAND (2010)
• Carbon Nation (2010)*
• Climate of Change (2010)*
• Powerful: Energy for Everyone (2010)*
• Crude (2009)
• Climate Refugees (2009)
• Fuel (2008)
• The Age of Stupid (2008)
• The 11^th Hour (2007)
• A Crude Awakening: The Oil Crash (2007)
• An Inconvenient Truth (2006)

Films on food and/or farming:

• Symphony of the Soil (2011; work in progress)
• Growing Cities (2011)*
• American Meat (2010)*
• The Greenhorns (2010)*
• Queen of the Sun: What are the bees telling us? (2010)*
• Vanishing of the Bees (2009)
• Big River (2009)
• Fresh (2009)*
• Dirt! The Movie (2009)*
• Homegrown Revolution (2009)*
• We Are What We Eat (2009)
• Food, Inc. (2008)
• Food Fight (2008)
• King Corn (2007)*
• Earthlings (2007)
• The Price of Sugar (2007)
• Fast Food Nation (2006)
• The Future of Food (2004)
• For a list of other food-related films, see this list from Serious Eats.

Films on other topics (e.g., health/toxins/pollution, water, localization, dolphins, etc.):

• The Human Experiment (coming out in 2012)
• The Economics of Happiness (2011)*
• Consumed: Inside the belly of the best (2011)
• Bag It: Is your life too plastic? (2010)*
• Living Downstream (2010)
• WASTE LAND (2010)*
• 180 Degrees South (2010)*
• The Cove (2009)
• Flow: For Love of Water (2008)
• Scarred Lands & Wounded Lives: The Environmental Footprint of War (2008)
• WALL-E (2008)*
• What Would Jesus Buy? (2007)*

If there are other relevant films that you’ve heard of or seen and would recommend to others, please add those in the Comments section below.

* Films that are marked with an asterisk are films that have a more positive or funny bent than many of the others. There are only so many bleak films about reality that people can watch in a row without getting depressed or angry and feeling helpless to make a difference. I find that it’s best to take in some positive stories, solutions, and humor now and then, to keep myself sane and motivated…

Green Film Festivals

These are a few of the annual film fests that I’m aware of. Please let everyone know about others by contributing a Comment! Many of the festivals’ websites feature video clips or entire films (short and full-length films), and they list many additional, new, independent films, beyond what I’ve listed above.

• Environmental Film Festival (Washington, DC)
• San Francisco Green Film Festival (San Francisco, CA)
• Wild and Scenic Film Festival (Nevada City, CA)
• Mountainfilm Festival (Telluride, CO)
• Annapolis Green Film Fest (Annapolis, MD)
• Planet in Focus environmental film festival (Toronto, Canada)
• UK Green Film Festival (5 cities in the UK, including London)
• Possible Futures Film Contest (online short films)

Please take a look at The Green Spotlight’s Facebook Page to see our daily green blurbs and links. You can view the page even if you don’t have a Facebook account. But if you do have an account, click on the “Like” button (if you’re not already connected to page); then you will be able to see The Green Spotlight’s posts in your Facebook news feed.

Visit the Page to get a sense of the wide variety of topics that it covers, and feel free to comment on the posts.

Here’s a sampling of topics that we’ve spotlighted on the page in recent weeks:

• new films, including The Economics of Happiness; Bag It; Flow; and Queen of the Sun
• a new environmental news website: This Week in Earth
• videos about the achievements of this year’s Goldman Prize winners (from the U.S., El Salvador, Germany, etc.)
• video about the NRDC’s Growing Green Awards winners
• AIA’s Top Ten Green Projects award-winning buildings
• organic gardening tips for weed and pest control
• driving tips to save gas and money
• a new Green Jobs report, and an interactive map of clean energy companies
• online action to oppose uranium mining in the Grand Canyon
• a summer tour of organic food and farming in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
• dog and cat toys made from natural, renewable materials
• new thin-film solar products, and a mobile solar power generator
• the story of a North Carolina farm started by a family inspired into action by the film Food, Inc.
• the story of two 15-year-old Girl Scouts who are calling Kellogg’s on its use of palm oil in Girl Scout cookies and other products

Please click here to see our more recent update and analysis of LEED Platinum projects (from January 2012). (Note: That post has more current data, so it supercedes the following, older post.)

Platinum is the highest rating in the LEED green building rating system; it’s one level higher than Gold. Building projects that have attained this rigorous level of certification are among the greenest in the world.

I recently added the latest set of Platinum-rated projects (buildings, homes, offices, and stores) to my listing of LEED Platinum Certified Building Projects Worldwide. This unique listing is organized by country and—within the U.S.—by state. Some of the listed projects are linked to online case studies. The listing includes projects of all types, from every LEED rating system: New Construction (and Major Renovations), Existing Buildings/Operations & Maintenance, Commercial Interiors, Core & Shell, Homes, Schools, and Retail. It is primarily compiled from the data provided in the USGBC/GBCI’s directory of LEED certified projects and the USGBC’s most recently posted list of LEED for Homes certified residences.

There are now hundreds of LEED Platinum certified projects. As of my latest review of the data (at the very beginning of 2011), it appears that projects in 47 of the 50 U.S. states (all states except Alabama, North Dakota, and West Virginia) have achieved the LEED Platinum rating to date, along with projects in Washington DC and Puerto Rico.

California has more than 130 LEED Platinum certified projects (at last count), which is more than twice as many as there are in any other state, and it’s also more than twice as many as California had only a year ago.  In terms of the absolute number of LEED Platinum certified projects in each state, California is followed by Oregon (with almost 60 projects), and then Texas, New York, and Massachusetts (each of which has between 30-40 projects). If you take state populations into account, Oregon clearly has the lead (for the greatest number of LEED Platinum certified projects per capita).

Worldwide, Platinum rated projects now exist in 16 countries. Outside of the U.S., there are projects in Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Finland, Germany, Great Britain, India, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Thailand, and the United Arab Emirates. Among these, India has the most, with 20 projects so far.

The range of Platinum project types is very broad. In addition to high-profile projects (such as the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, and the William J. Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock) and a number of high-end offices and luxury residences, LEED Platinum projects also include several public buildings (such as San Jose City Hall) and a surprising number of affordable housing projects. The following are just a few examples of the many affordable housing projects that have achieved the LEED Platinum rating: 51 single-family, detached homes built by Habitat for Humanity in St. Louis, MO; the General Colin L. Powell Apartments in the South Bronx, NY; Wisdom Way Solar Village homes in Greenfield, MA; Autumn Terrace mixed-use housing development in San Marcos, CA; Vista Dunes in La Quinta, CA; and a variety of affordable homes in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Note: Another green building certification, which is widely considered to be an even higher bar to reach than LEED Platinum, is the Living Building Challenge. To date, three projects have achieved the Living Building Challenge certification: the Tyson Living Learning Center in Eureka, Missouri; the Omega Center for Sustainable Living in Rhinebeck, New York (which also got a LEED Platinum certification); and the Eco-Sense home in Victoria, British Columbia.

Please click here to see The Green Spotlight’s more recent update and analysis  (from January 2012).

Before the holidays (and other gift-giving occasions), I sit down and have a brainstorm session to try to come up with thoughtful, meaningful gifts that are well suited to each person on my list. Then, I run those ideas through my budget filter, as well as another set of filters that I consider to be just as important: In an effort to be an environmentally and socially conscious consumer, I strive to choose gifts that meet one or more of the following criteria—many of which also happen to be economical:

1. Non-Stuff: As Art Buchwald said, “The best things in life aren’t things.” Consider alternatives to material things, such as:
    
   • Activities: Doing something special for/with someone or a group of friends or family (e.g., making a fancy dinner or going out to eat);
   • Giving a gift certificate for a restaurant, a service (e.g. spa/massage), an educational opportunity (such as an online solar training course), or music/movie downloads (e.g., iTunes gift code by email); a ticket to a special event (e.g., a concert); or a voucher for a personal favor (e.g., babysitting or a household repair task); or
   • Making a donation (or getting a membership) to a nonprofit organization on someone’s behalf.




2. Homemade, handmade, or homegrown stuff: e.g., baked goods, jam, art, crafts. Or, if you have been growing herbs or have saved flower or vegetable seeds from your garden, I think that fresh or dried herbs (like rosemary, thyme, or lavender) and seeds (like cilantro/coriander, which can also be ground for use as a spice)—or flower bulbs or seedlings—can make really nice gifts.




3. Locally-made or Fair Trade goods: You can help support your local economy/community by buying locally-made goods from small independent businesses in your town, or you could support a sustainable enterprise in a third-world country by purchasing Fair Trade goods. Whatever you do, try to avoid buying cheaply made (low quality, low durability) stuff that was manufactured with toxic materials in an overseas sweatshop; unfortunately, that description applies to a lot of the stuff sold in Big Box chain stores these days.




4. Products with green attributes or purposes: e.g., a solar charger for cell phones and gadgets; gardening supplies or non-GMO seeds (e.g., Baker Creek Heirlooms or Botanical Interests); organic cotton clothing; organic food; soaps or bath products made with entirely safe and biodegradable ingredients, etc. (Beware of “greenwashing,” of course. Look for third-party assessments/eco-labels that verify manufacturers’ environmental claims.) Find stores in your area that specialize in green products. Or shop online to minimize your driving; many green companies have online stores, e.g.:
    
   • Patagonia: Recreational clothing and gear
   • Organic Bouquet: Eco-Elegant Flowers & Gourmet Gifts, including organic chocolate
   • Only Natural Pet Store: On Sale Now at Only Natural Pet Store
   • Gaiam: Eco-friendly and organic lifestyle products
   • Viva Terra: On sale at VivaTerra. Save up to 70% on natural home décor, organic gifts and more.
   • Powell’s Books: Books on sustainability topics




5. Re-gifted items or lightly-used finds: When I receive an item for which I don’t have any use, I don’t have qualms about re-gifting it (or donating it) to someone who would enjoy having it more than I would. In fact, I get great satisfaction out of redirecting things to the right recipients. You can also sometimes find a perfect and perfectly lovely gift for someone at a vintage/antique shop, yard sale, flea market, thrift store, or Craigslist. Some “pre-owned” items are treasures just waiting to be found.




6. Eminently useful things: There are certain things that almost anyone can put to use, such as consumables (favorite specialty foods or spices), cozy socks, a mini-LED light for a keychain, or a good book about a topic of interest to the recipient.




7. Small stuff: Try to choose items that don’t use a lot of resources, don’t require a lot of packaging/shipping material, and won’t take up much space in someone’s home.  Sometimes the best gifts can fit into a stocking.

And if you still just can’t think of anything good to get for a certain person and you decide to get that person a gift certificate for a store, get one from a store that offers electronic/email gift notices (or else paper certificates) rather than disposable PVC plastic gift cards.

Lastly, minimize your use of store-bought/new wrapping paper. Some people like to use the cartoon section of their newspaper as wrapping paper. I keep a stash of reusable gift bags and ribbons that have come to me over the years. If the contents of a gift don’t need to be covered up, putting a nice ribbon or bow around it (sans wrapping paper) is an elegantly simple way to adorn it.

NOTE: See our newer post, Green Gifts (2.0), posted November 2011, for more tips and suggestions.

For additional info on green gifts, products, and consumerism/over-consumption, take a look at these sites:

• The Story of Stuff (and The Story of Electronics): short films/web videos
• Green America: click on the Green Gift Guide, Responsible Shopper, and Fair Trade links
• Center for a New American Dream: Simplify the Holidays
• SustainLane: green product and service reviews
• Good Guide: ratings of natural, green, and healthy products
• Simple Living Forum

Please share your own green gift ideas and suggestions in the Comments section below.

We post briefer and more frequent green blurbs on our Facebook page than we do on this site. Please visit The Green Spotlight’s Facebook Page. You can view the page even you don’t have a Facebook account. But if you do have an account, click on the “Like” button (if you’re not already a “Friend” of the page). Then you can get a daily dose of The Green Spotlight in your Facebook news feed, and you can share your comments and recommendations with a large audience.

Take a look at the Page to get a sense of the wide variety of topics that have been touched on or linked to. Here’s a sampling of past topics:

• Biomimicry in product design
• Solar window shutters
• Ecovative’s alternative to petroleum-based plastics
• Biofuel made from whiskey-distilling by-products
• Dog poop converted into electrical energy
• Landfill gas turned into fuel for garbage trucks
• Organic farming programs in India, Mexico, Detroit, etc.
• Gardening tips
• Non-toxic cleaners and household products
• Green-certified restaurants
• Net-zero-energy and “passive” homes around the world
• The Yes Men satirize Chevron
• Daryl Hannah
• Rachel Carson
• The greening of corporate supply chains
• Solar panel recycling
• Electric cars, motorcycles, trucks, scooters, ATVs, and other vehicles (Green Lite Motors, Barefoot Motors, Mission Motors, Brammo, ZAP, Bright Automotive, etc.)
• World Green Building Council
• Living Building Challenge
• Bioneers
• Farm Aid
• Teens Turning Green
• League of Conservation Voters
• Trees for the Future: Haiti
• 350.org
• California Brightspot
• Green Economy Roadmap
• TED videos
• New films: e.g., Big River; Dirt!
• Interesting facts and stats
• Quotation of the Month

Reducing your water use has multiple benefits. In addition to helping to conserve and protect your community’s vital water supplies, saving water also helps you save money and energy.

According to the U.S. EPA, if all U.S. households installed water-efficient fixtures and appliances, the country would save more than 3 trillion gallons of water and more than $18 billion dollars per year.

Conserving water also conserves energy, because energy is used to treat, deliver, and heat water. If one out of every 100 American homes were retrofitted with water-efficient fixtures, that would save about 100 million kWh of electricity per year—avoiding 80,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions: equivalent to removing nearly 15,000 automobiles from the road for one year. For additional information on the benefits of saving water, see this EPA webpage.

Low-flow fixtures have been on the market for a while. These days, there are also many ultra-low-flow fixtures that conserve even more water without compromising performance. The EPA’s WaterSense program labels ultra-low-flow, highly water-efficient plumbing fixtures that have been independently tested and certified to meet efficiency and performance standards. In addition to being approximately 20% more water-efficient than average products, WaterSense labeled products have been verified to perform “as well or better than their less efficient counterparts.”

To select the most water-efficient plumbing fixtures, you should look for products with certain flow thresholds. The following sections outline the thresholds to be aware of when selecting ultra-low water-use toilets, showerheads, and faucets:

HIGH-EFFICIENCY, WATER-SAVING TOILETS

Toilets are often the source of the most water use (and water wasting) within a home, accounting for nearly 30 percent of an average home’s indoor water consumption. If you have a toilet(s) that uses more than 1.6 gallons of water per flush (gpf)—as do almost all toilets installed before 1994—replace it with one of the following:

• High-efficiency (or ultra-low-flush) toilet model that uses no more than 1.3 gpf (the current EPA WaterSense standard, as of 2010); or better yet, a…
• Dual-flush toilet, which has a lower-flush button for liquid waste and a higher-flush button for solid waste; this type of toilet is common in Australia and Europe and is becoming increasingly popular in the U.S. (Dual-flush conversion/retrofit kits are also available to convert a regular toilet into a dual-flush.) Or even better, consider installing a…
• Composting toilet, which uses little to no water for flushing.

In California, new legislation has mandated that all new toilets sold or installed in the state after 2014 must be high-efficiency toilets. At some point, federal standards might also be raised to this standard.

For commercial/office-building bathrooms, install ultra-low-flush (ULF) urinals in lieu of regular urinals.

SHOWERHEADS

Showering accounts for up to 20 percent of the average household’s indoor water use. You can cut your shower water use by as much as 70 percent by switching to an ultra-low-flow showerhead, which is easy to do. And unlike days of yore, many of today’s models of high-efficiency showerheads will give you a good strong shower stream.

If you have an old or inefficient showerhead (one that uses more than 2.5 gallons of water per minute: gpm), replace it with a high-efficiency / ultra-low-flow showerhead that uses no more than 2 gpm (the current EPA WaterSense standard, as of 2010). Be aware: Those “luxury shower towers” or pie-plate-sized, monsoon-downpour-imitating fixtures are major water-wasters; they can use as much as 20 gallons of water per minute!

Using ultra-low-flow showerheads will also save you money on your energy bills, by reducing the demand on your water heater. According to the WaterSense program, a household could save 300 kilowatt hours of electricity annually, enough to power its television use for about a year.

FAUCETS

If you have inefficient faucets (which use more than 2.5 gpm), either replace them with high-efficiency faucets that have a flow rate of no more than 1.5 gpm (the current EPA WaterSense standard, as of 2010) OR add a water-saving aerator or flow restrictor to the existing faucets (an easy and inexpensive modification).

To see listings of high-efficiency plumbing products, see the GreenSpec product guide at GreenBuildingAdvisor.com.

Also, choose high-efficiency appliances, such as Energy Star clothes washers and dishwashers, to save additional energy and water.

For more information on how to conserve water, take a look at these online resources:

• Alliance for Water Efficiency
• H2OUSE, Water Saver Home (California Urban Water Conservation Council)
• Water Conservation article (Whole Building Design Guide)