Windows and doors play an important role in green building, contributing to improved indoor air quality by providing ventilation and supporting human health and energy efficiency through the infiltration of natural daylighting.
For these reasons and others, windows and doors can contribute multiple credits toward LEED v4, with potential points for resource efficiencies, air quality, energy optimization, and more.
Here are some ways that windows and doors may qualify for LEED credits.
MATERIALS AND RESOURCES
Construction and Demolition – Waste Management
Possible points: up to 3
Products with minimal packaged with recyclable material, such as cardboard, may qualify for points. Recyclable material can be identified as waste diversion.
Building Product Disclosure and Optimization — Leadership Extraction Practices
Possible points: up to 2
Products contain recycled content (the sum of post-consumer recycled content plus one-half the pre-consumer recycled content, based on cost), or use a minimum of 50% wood-based materials certified in accordance with FSC or SFI. For example, qualified JELD-WEN products include molded and bi-fold interior doors; wood windows; stile-and-rail doors, custom FSC IWP doors; molded-skin doors; and molded hollow-core doors.
Building Product Disclosure and Optimization — Sourcing of Raw Materials
Possible points: up to 2
This credit rewards products sourced within 100 miles or 500 miles of the project site. Seek out windows manufactured near the project site to earn these credits.
INDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
Minimum Indoor Air Quality Performance (Prerequisite)
This requirement looks at contributions to the comfort and well-being of building occupants.
Architects must determine the minimum outdoor air opening and space configuration requirements using the natural ventilation procedure from ASHRAE Standard 62.1-2010 or a local equivalent when naturally ventilating your project. Specifying operable windows, exterior doors, and patio doors may lead to credit contribution for naturally ventilated spaces.
Low-Emitting Materials — VOCs, formaldehyde emissions from composite wood products
Possible points: 3
The goal of this credit is to reduce emissions in the indoor environment and reduce the concentration of chemical contaminants. At least 90% of a product must meet requirements.
JELD-WEN products that contribute to this category include molded, flat-panel, and bi-fold interior door systems, MiraTEC, and Extira, which are Greenguard certified, which exceeds CA 01350 specifications. All wood windows are CARB 2 eligible based on the natural wood components utilized.
Minimum Acoustic Performance for Schools (Prerequisite)
Based on STC and OITC ratings, windows, doors, and patio doors may assist in meeting the prerequisite.
Enhanced Indoor Air Quality Strategies
Possible points: up to 1
Operable windows, patio doors, and exterior doors can help demonstrate that the system designed employs the appropriate strategies.
ENERGY AND ATMOSPHERE
Minimum Energy Performance (Prerequisite) and Optimize Energy Performance
Possible points: Up to 1
In this credit, buildings must demonstrate an improvement of 5% in the proposed building performance rating compared with the baseline calculated according to USGBC guidelines. An energy performance target must be established no later than the schematic design phase.
Specify windows and exterior doors that feature acceptable U-factor and SHGC values to help achieve the minimum required energy performance.
