Commercial Green Building News and Analysis!

Green Products: Does LEED Certify Building Materials and Products?

Question:


Does LEED certify green building products?

Answer:


No. LEED certifies buildings, their interiors, exteriors and building projects. Buildings or projects applying for LEED certification must 1) comply with design and development prerequisites and 2) include a minimum number of specific sustainable characteristics. In both cases, LEED measures compliance and awards credits (or points) in six green building categories:

- Sustainable sites
- Water efficiency
- Energy and Atmosphere
- Materials and Resources
- Indoor Environmental Quality
- Innovation

The more points earned by a project results in a higher LEED rating. Green building products can create the opportunity to earn LEED credits by contributing to the greenness of a building. Green products with desired attributes (such as energy efficiency, low or no VOC levels, recycled content, renewable technologies, etc...) can be found through Green-Buildings.com, such sites as Green Depot, or through the U.S. Green Building Council's website where the credits they earn may be described. Most green building materials must be demonstrably green (i.e. quantifiable through math or scientifically accepted) and the LEED approval process requires documentation be provided substantiating green product claims.

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