Environmental Design + Construction - August 2008 - (Page 71)

SETTING A GREEN FRAMEWORK GREENGUARD CERTIFICATION AND LEED RATING SYSTEM HAVE ESTABLISHED STANDARDS FOR INDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY. BY CARL SMITH, GROUP EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, GREENGUARD ENVIRONMENTAL INSTITUTE ince the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System first emerged in the marketplace during the early part of this century, it has placed a great deal of importance on good indoor air quality. In fact, across the breadth of LEED programs, strategies to improve indoor air quality represent between 21 and 26 percent of the available credit points. Central to attaining these points are actions aimed at reducing chemical emissions from building products and materials, representing the single most important strategy in improving indoor air. Depending on the LEED building-rating program, between four and six points are potentially available for strategies to reduce volatile organic compounds (VOCs), formaldehyde, particulates and other harmful chemicals from indoor air. Traditionally, the focus has been on five product types for the potential release of chemicals and indoor pollutants: paints and coatings; adhesives and sealants; carpet, carpet cushion and flooring systems; composite wood; and systems furniture and seating. In more recent LEED program releases, chemical emission criteria was added for ceiling and wall systems. Since the onset of LEED, GREENGUARD certification has been a highly visible and frequently used strategy to attain these points. GREENGUARD certification first appeared as a potential way to attain LEED points WWW.EDCMAG.COM S with the release of LEED for Commercial Interiors (LEED-CI) as a referenced standard for Environmental Quality (EQ) credit 4.5: Systems Furniture and Seating. Historically, furnishings have been a significant potential source for a range of VOCs and other potentially harmful chemicals. But during the last several years, with LEED and GREENGUARD certification serving as catalysts, the furniture industry has changed considerably. Contract (commercial) furniture manufacturers have re-thought the design and manufacturing processes — virtually all major contract furniture manufacturers now meet or exceed the chemical emissions criteria used by LEED and certified by GREENGUARD. In a relatively short period of time, the furniture industry has transformed its product offering in response to marketplace demands for manufacturers to reduce use of chemicals. CHILDREN & SCHOOLS CERTIFICATION RAISES THE BAR In September 2005, GREENGUARD Environmental Institute (GEI) pushed the industry even further by introducing GREENGUARD Children & Schools Certification as a way to address a vulnerable cross section of the population that often is exposed to potentially harmful chemicals. This program expanded the number of chemicals that are measured, lowered the overall emissions criteria, and modeled inhalation exposure data to chil- dren’s unique physiology and environments. Soon after this program’s introduction, LEEDSchools and LEED-Healthcare embraced GREENGUARD Children & Schools Certification for all product categories including paints, adhesives, flooring, wood, ceiling and wall systems, and furniture and furnishings. GREENGUARD Children & Schools is also recognized by the state of California as meeting the technical requirements that it imposes on state projects. The principles set forth in LEED are being widely used across the country. Many new building projects are using LEED and GREENGUARD certification criteria as the framework for their specifications even if the projects never formally pursue LEED certification. Formal programs can work to informally transform the attitudes and practices of many building professionals. Going forward, as GREENGUARD certification expands to include product categories like cleaning systems and printers/ electronic devices, there is further opportunity to refine and expand the use of lowemitting product credits in green building programs. Green building rating systems and GREENGUARD will continue to expand rapidly as the marketplace continues to seek sustainable solutions. For more information and details on the LEED Green Building Rating System, visit www.usgbc.org. + THE FURNITURE INDUSTRY, FOR EXAMPLE, HAS TRANSFORMED ITS PRODUCT OFFERING IN RESPONSE TO MARKETPLACE DEMANDS FOR MANUFACTURERS TO REDUCE USE OF CHEMICALS. 70 http://www.wftaylor.com http://www.edcmag.com/webcard

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Environmental Design + Construction - August 2008

Environmental Design & Construction- August 2008 Contents Editor's Note Web TOC Newsline New plus Notable Therapeutic Spaces On the Cover Surviving and Thriving A New Green Era of Luxury Special Section: Greenguard Indoor Air Quality Certification Getting it Right Extra Credit Product Focus 21st Century Schools Marketplace plus Classifieds Advertiser's Index Of the Earth

Environmental Design + Construction - August 2008

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