LEED Certification and Credits for Low Emitting Products

There are a number of green building rating systems that provide credits for low-emitting building products and furniture. These systems cover all stages of the building design and construction process. They are structured to encourage environmentally sound choices, including the selection of products with minimal adverse indoor environmental quality (IEQ) impacts. Achieving compliance and possibly certification for your low-emitting products under a green building rating system can lead to significant positive press coverage, differentiation of your products from those of your competitors, and in some cases compliance with codes and regulations.

The most well-known rating system is USGBC's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). There are thousands of buildings with LEED certification all over the world and many make use of one or more of the available LEED IEQ credits. Other widely-adopted systems include the Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS), and the National Association of Home Builders’ (NAHB) Green Building Standard.

The table below lists the LEED IEQ credit categories in the 2009 version of the LEED rating system. Building projects can earn points by using low-emitting products in these categories. An example of a compliant low-emitting product in the Flooring Systems credit is a FloorScore certified resilient floor covering. Also listed are the IEQ credit categories contained in four other green building rating systems. Like the LEED certification program, the use of low-emitting building products and furniture is a pathway for earning credits in these systems.

A new version of the LEED rating system representing a major technical upgrade was scheduled to be released in fall 2012. The time schedule has now been pushed back to fall 2013 to give architectural projects considering LEED certification more time to adapt to the impending changes. The new standard will be called LEED V4. The public comment versions and an associated pilot credit that has been released reveal substantial changes in the IEQ credit system. More product categories representing all of the major interior surfaces in a building will be included. This provides an opportunity for more manufacturers to join the low-emitting, green products market. Architectural projects currently seeking LEED certification can try out the new LEED IEQ credit system by electing to use Pilot Credit 21 for low-emitting interiors. Berkeley Analytical has been engaged in the public comments on the new standard and can help building product and furniture companies meet the requirements of Pilot Credit 21 and prepare for LEED V4.

Products that are compliant with a LEED IEQ credit and with a credit in another building rating system are documented in many green product registries, which can be explored here. Berkeley Analytical provides VOC emission testing for products in all of these categories. Test your low-emitting product, demonstrate compliance, and use the results as part of your marketing strategy. Contact us today to get started!

¹LEM: Low-Emitting Materials