When green building first came on the scene, it was a lot about products. But as the green building market has matured, the emphasis has shifted from products to performance. It’s no longer enough for architects and designers to simply spec products that claim to have an environmental benefit. The newest standards demand evidence that proves they do—from materials to manufacturing to real world performance.

In fact, the U.S. Green Building Council’s 20-year-old green building standard was just revised this summer to be much more heavily evidence-based with LEED v4. Here’s a look at four key ways LEED v4 credits product performance:

1. Building Product Disclosure and Optimization: Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) Credit. The intent of this credit it to encourage the use of products and materials for which life-cycle information is available and that have environmentally, economically and socially preferable life-cycle impacts. This credit also rewards project teams for selecting products from manufacturers who have verified improved environmental life-cycle impacts.

2. Building Product Disclosure and Optimization: Material Ingredients Credit. This credit also emphasizes the use of products and materials for which life-cycle information is available and that have environmentally, economically and socially preferable life-cycle impacts. But in addition, it rewards project teams for selecting:

  • Products for which the chemical ingredients in the product are inventoried using an accepted methodology.
  • Products verified to minimize the use and generation of harmful substances.
  • Raw material manufacturers who produce products verified to have improved life-cycle impacts.

3. Indoor Environmental Quality (EQ) Category: Low-Emitting Materials Credit. The intent of this credit is to reduce concentrations of chemical contaminants that can damage air quality, human health, productivity and the environment. This credit includes requirements for product manufacturing as well as project teams. It covers volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions in the indoor air and the VOC content of materials, as well as the testing methods by which indoor VOC emissions are determined. Different materials must meet different requirements to be considered compliant for this credit. The building interior and exterior are organized in seven categories, each with different thresholds of compliance. The building interior is defined as everything within the waterproofing membrane. The building exterior is defined as everything outside and inclusive of the primary and secondary weatherproofing system, such as waterproofing membranes and air- and water-resistive barrier materials.

4. Energy and Atmosphere (EA) Category: Optimized Energy Performance Credit. The intent of the Optimized Energy Performance credit is to achieve increasing levels of energy performance beyond the prerequisite standard to reduce environmental and economic harms associated with excessive energy use.

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