Available Low-Emitting Product Credits By Green-Building Rating System

There are a number of green building rating systems that provide credits for low-emitting building products and furniture. These systems cover all stages of the building design and construction process. They are structured to encourage environmentally sound choices, including the selection of products with minimal adverse indoor environmental quality (IEQ) impacts. Achieving compliance and possibly certification for your low-emitting products under a green building rating system can lead to significant positive press coverage, differentiation of your products from those of your competitors, and in some cases compliance with codes and regulations.

The most well-known rating system is USGBC's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). There are thousands of LEED certified buildings all over the world and many make use of one or more of the available IEQ credits. Other widely-adopted systems include the Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS), and the National Association of Home Builders’ (NAHB) Green Building Standard.

The table below lists credits in five rating systems that building projects can earn by using low-emitting products. Compliant products are documented in many green product registries, which can be explored here. Berkeley Analytical provides VOC emission testing for products in all of these categories. Test your products, demonstrate compliance, and use the results as part of your marketing strategy. Contact us today to get started!

¹LEM: Low-Emitting Materials