Comments on: There is No Such Thing as a LEED Certified Product

By: elliottgoodwin

elliottgoodwin — Thu, 14 May 2009 16:20:52 +0000

I just found this article via twitter that explains some of the authentic "green" product verification organizations. http://www.thegoodhuman.com/2009/05/14/how-to-spo...

By: Elliott

Elliott — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 22:08:54 +0000

@Franics, If your products qualify, you might try to certify them through a third party. See this link for details (bottom): http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=1804

The other thing you can do to set your self apart from your competitors is be open and transparent about your products. Make the sustainable information easy to find. Put a link to the information on the front of your website. Make it a requirement in product literature. When I look for a product, I want to know where it is manufactured, how much recycled content (pre and post consumer), if it is painted, what about VOCs, etc.

USG and Armstrong Ceilings are both examples of companies that provide open and transparent information for not only LEED, but sustainable design for their products.

http://www.sustainableceilings.com and http://www.armstrong.com/commceilingsna/article45637.html

I hope that helps.

By: Teresa

Teresa — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 21:56:48 +0000

@Michael I am not aware of a quick summary of the LEED rating system, although there may be something available on line. One reference our staff has used to study for the LEED exam is http://www.intheleed.com. LEED is comprehensive and a whole building approach so it is tough to break it down to one vendor with a list of requirements, although each component certainly does contribute to the whole picture. You could consider reviewing each point and those that are applicable to your work set minimum goals accordingly. For example, for Materials & Resources 4.1, the goal is to provide recycled content of 10%. So your product could prepare information showing based on value how much of your product is made from recycled content with pre-consumer recycled content divided by half per LEED. If you did this for each point I am sure that LEED AP’s would enjoy having this information readily available to use in their work for the entire project. Hope that helps!

By: Francis

Francis — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 02:18:31 +0000

We are trying to become a “green” supplier, and have contacted many manufactures of these products. After reading this article I am very concerned about what the manufactures of products are telling me. Other than the two sites you listed are there any other resouces for green building products, that have in the past be used and qualified during a LEED build?

By: Michael

Michael — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 18:14:40 +0000

I work for a lighting fixture manufacturer. Does LEED publish any brief and understandable document that tells me what would contribute to the success of a LEED project. For instance, if I am making an outdoor fixture that is made out of aluminum, how much of that aluminum would need to be from post consumer aluminum? What about packaging and sourcing components, how does LEED guide me in creating a more friendly product?

By: Traci D'Alessio

Traci D'Alessio — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 18:16:33 +0000

Elliott,

BRAVO! As if the LEED rating system (or any green building rating system, for that matter) wasn’t complicated enough, the multitude of misleading claims by product manufacturers and service providers only serves to confuse and disinsent the users of said rating systems (be they architects, builders, developers or the consumer). In their mad rush to align themselves with a “brand”, these companies are only disenfranchising the public at large on “green”, rather than supporting the industry.

Traci D’ALessio
Assistant Director
Built Green Colorado
LEED for Homes Provider