Jan 7 2015
GreenCE, Inc. has launched the industry's first comprehensive LEED v4 specification program for building product manufacturers. Recently, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) released its new LEED v4 rating systems, the most widely used green building programs in the world.
The new LEED certification program utilizes Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), and Health Product Declarations (HPDs) to design healthier and more efficient buildings.
The HPD plays a significant role in the new LEED v4 green building rating system. The HPD provides information about a product's contents and related health issues and is having a critical effect on product specification. GreenCE is helping building product manufacturers meet these new specification requirements by utilizing a multi-disciplinary team of biologists, architects, and LEED experts.
"Design professionals now have the ability to make intelligent specification choices based on full disclosure of material content and potential hazards. The HPD is the most significant game changer for project specifications in decades. Building product manufacturers that embrace HPD early on will benefit greatly in the years to come," said Tara Blank, Ph.D., Founder of Elixir Environmental.
The launch of LEED v4 is also necessitating that building product manufacturers update their product documentation to reflect the significant changes in LEED v4. There are several new LEED credits that have been added to the new LEED certification rating system that will affect product specification. Design teams require the most up-to-date information and antiquated LEED documentation can definitely be detrimental to building product manufacturers.
"With the overhaul of the LEED programs, especially as they relate to the contribution of building products, it is important for product manufacturers to review, and where necessary, update their product literature to make sure that references to LEED contributions are clear and align to the significant changes in LEED v4," said Glen Phillips, Director of Sustainable Education at GreenCE.
One of the most serious challenges for building product manufacturers in 2015 will be educating their sales force and marketing team about LEED v4. GreenCE launched the industry's first no-cost LEED Exam Prep program to educate building product manufacturers about the new green building rating system. The new LEED education program features video modules, animation, and case-studies.
"We anticipate a significant interest in the free LEED exam prep program from building product manufacturers who are in dire need of training their sales force. If a building product representative can't intelligently discuss their product in the context of LEED, they may lose out to their competitors. Our programs are designed to bridge the gap between building product manufacturers and design professionals," said Brad Blank, Media Director of GreenCE.
GreenCE, Inc. is the nation's leading provider of sustainable continuing education for design professionals with over 100,000 subscribers. GreenCE is a USGBC Education Partner and AIA Education Provider. GreenCE helps building product manufacturers develop education courses and Health Product Declarations (HPDs).