Green building practices result in buildings that:

Achieve high energy efficiency,

Use resources efficiently, and

Provide healthful interior spaces.

Several organizations have developed systems to guide design and building professionals, and to provide objective measurement of building performance.

The U.S. Green Building Council developed the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) rating system for a wide variety of buildings.

The Green Building Initiative offers green building guidelines for residential and nonresidential project.

U.S. EPA's Energy Star program, along with its newer Water Sense program, offers useful guidance on the energy and resource efficiency of building practices, appliances, and fixtures.

U.S. Department of Energy has sponsored research in energy efficiency in its national laboratories for many years. Design tools, such as energy modeling software, and building performance data are among the immense body of knowledge maintained by DOE.