There are 5 significant reasons why building product manufacturers should develop Health Product Declarations (HPDs). The HPD provides a standard format and instructions to accurately and consistently report the material contents of a building product, and associated health information. The 5 reasons why building product manufacturers should develop HPDs include:

LEED v4 Requirements

LEED v3 sunsets in October 2016 and LEED v4 will be the only version moving forward. Building product manufacturers have very different requirements for their products under LEED v4. HPDs are quickly becoming the most requested transparency documents for LEED v4 projects, even more than EPDs and LCAs. MR Credit 4: Building product disclosure and optimization - material ingredients awards project teams points if they have LEED v4 compliant HPDs.

Architects & Specifiers Want HPDs

Over 30 major A&E firms like Perkins+Will, HKS, Gensler, Cannon Group, and others are requesting HPDs for product specification and building product manufacturers who comply will be given preferential treatment. For designers and LEED consultants who want to know what is in the products they are specifying and using, a manufacturer can provide comprehensive information about a product’s contents and associated health information using the HPD.

HPDs May Be Mandatory For Lunch and Learns

A few prominent A&E firms are requiring HPDs from manufacturers in order for their product reps to be able to deliver AIA lunch and learn presentations at their offices. Imagine going to a firm and being shown the door because you don’t have a HPD! Architecture firm HDR has stated “that manufacturers that have submitted appropriate information to HDR's design offices by January 1, 2014, will be allowed to both present their products to staff informally or at lunch and learns. Additionally, manufacturers who provide product transparency and health information by January 1, 2015, will be given preferred status for use in specifications.”

Learn About Your Supply Chain

The HPD development process offers building product manufacturers a very useful insight into their supply chain. We have worked with everyone from billion dollar companies to mom and pop fabricators and 95% of them do not ultimately know what is in their products. They think they do, but are often surprised at the research we bring to the table in uncovering many other ingredients. The HPD development process helps manufacturers understand their supply chains and find potential areas where they can save money.

For building product manufacturers that are constrained to fully disclose contents because of limitations within their supply chain or by other factors, the HPD provides flexibility. For example, building product manufacturers facing obstacles with intellectual property or supply chain communication gaps can use the HPD to characterize the level of disclosure they are able to achieve.

HPDs Are A Good Investment

HPDs are the most cost-effective way to contribute to LEED v4 projects. Many companies cannot afford to spend critical budget money to develop a LCA and EPD. These programs can be very expensive and consume months or even years! Currently, HPDs are quicker, cheaper, and more requested specification tools than LCAs and EPDs. HPDs are an excellent tool for manufacturer disclosure and transparency programs, that provides an industry-accepted method for reporting product contents and the associated health information.

Overall, building product manufacturers need to provide the necessary documentation to get specified on LEED v4 projects. Manufacturers who want a seat at the specification table and hope to provide transparency should develop HPDs.

Has your company developed HPDs? What measures has your company taken to get specified on LEED v4 projects?