MR Credit: Purchasing – Option 2: Building Materials

For at least one month, track all building material purchases (including furniture) used and/or installed as part of space reconfigurations, additions/alternations, or renovations. Purchase at least 50% (1 point) or 75% (2 points, Interiors only), by cost, of total building materials that meet at least one of the following criteria under Reporting, Optimization, and other attributes.

The reporting requirement offers potential opportunities for manufacturers. Project teams are rewarded when they purchase building materials that have product transparency documentation such as:

• Health Product Declaration (HPD). The end use product has a published, complete Health Product Declaration with full disclosure of known hazards in compliance with the Health Product Declaration Open Standard. HPDs have become one of the most requested product specification tools in the AEC industry. Manufacturers would be wise to develop HPDs if they have not already done so.
• Cradle to Cradle Certified. Products purchased have earned Cradle to Cradle certification of any level, Version 3 or newer.
• Declare Label. The Declare label must indicate that all ingredients have been evaluated and disclosed down to 1000 ppm.
• ANSI/BIFMA e3 Furniture Sustainability Standard.
• Environmental product declaration (EPD). The EPD can be either industry-wide (generic) EPD or product specific Type III EPD with third party external verification in which the manufacturer is explicitly recognized as the participant by the program operator.
• Facts - NSF/ANSI 336. Sustainability Assessment for Commercial Furnishings Fabric at any certification level.
• Product Lens certification.

MR Credit: Purchasing – Option 2: Building Materials also rewards project teams for using products that meet optimization requirements. GreenScreen, Cradle to Cradle, EPD optimization, supply chain optimization, FSC wood products, and other factors play a role for awarding project teams for that select optimized products. Low formaldehyde, low VOC emissions, and zero waste manufacturing also play a role for this Credit option.

MR Credit: Purchasing – Option 3. Electronic Equipment

For at least one month, track all electronic equipment purchases. Purchase at least 50%, by cost, electronic equipment that meets at least one of the following criteria. In addition, create a phase-out plan to replace remaining products with compliant equipment at the end of their useful life.

• EPEAT rating
• ENERGY STAR rating. If the equipment does not yet fall under the EPEAT rating systems, it must be ENERGY STAR® qualified or performance equivalent for projects outside the U.S.
• Lamps. Lamps must contain no mercury (with equivalent energy efficiency as mercury containing lamps) or have an average low mercury content of 25 picograms per lumen-hour or less.

How to Get Involved in LEED v4.1 O+M Beta Certification

Project teams wanting to collaborate in the beta process, must follow several steps: confirm eligibility, select appropriate rating system, sign up, get started, and certify! Each beta project will receive extra support from USGBC. Once registered, project teams will be contacted by a representative from our team to help you along the way. GBCI, the certification body for the LEED rating system, will perform the beta certification reviews, in accordance with the Guide to Certification for Commercial projects.

Help Improve The LEED Rating System

The USGBC has implemented a new feature allowing anyone to submit a proposal for the LEED rating system. Proposals must be edits to the existing LEED language using tools provided by USGBC. Multiple proposals for change from the same person/organization for each LEED credit are permitted. The LEED Steering Committee will distribute the proposals to the relevant subcommittees for consideration and recommendations. This feedback will shape the future of the rating system.