VERSATEX LEED Points
Over the past couple of years the “GREEN” movement has been front and center of distributors, dealers, architects, builders, contactors as well as the consumer. Below you will find some facts and assumptions that should shed some light on the LEED rating system (what is it and where might VERSATEX cellular PVC qualify.)
LEED Points and VERSATEX
- New Construction & Major Renovations
- Existing Buildings (operations and maintenance)
- Commercial Interiors
- Core & Shell
- Schools
- Retail
- Healthcare
In our analysis we focuse only on LEED for New Construction.
There are six elements to the LEED for new construction and major renovations program they are as follows:
- 1) Sustainable Sites & Heat Island Effect
- 2) Water Efficiency
- 3) Energy & Atmosphere
- 4) Materials & Resources
- 5) Indoor Environmental Quality & Low Emitting Materials
- 6) Innovation & Design Process
Within LEED for new construction on any building project there are a total of 69 points. However, you don’t have to have all 69 points to be LEED certified. There are four LEED certification levels. They are as follows:
- Certified – 26 to 32 points
- Silver – 33 to 38 points
- Gold – 39 to 51 points
- Platinum – 52 to 69 points
In the various elements of LEED there are a few categories where VERSATEX may qualify for LEED points. The following identifies possible LEED opportunities. It may be up to the builder, contractor or homeowner to take steps to assure VERSATEX qualifies for a LEED point in certain circumstances.
1) Sustainable Sites & Heat Island Effect: There are no categories within this element that are applicable to VERSATEX or any other cellular PVC trimboard.
2) Water Efficiency: There are no categories within this element that are applicable to VERSATEX or any other cellular PVC trimboard.
3) Energy & Atmosphere: There are no categories within this element that are applicable to VERSATEX or any other cellular PVC trimboard.
4) Materials & Resources:
a) MR 1.1 (Building Reuse) – Possible 1 LEED point if we can assume VERSATEX trim can be reused on the next house. If the VERSATEX is installed with screws versus nails and since most if not all house framing is 16” on center, VERSATEX trim should be an item that can be reused on the next home.
b) MR 2.1 (Construction Waste Management) – Possible 1 LEED point. Versatex trim is recyclable either back to the manufacturer or through brokers who will pick up and dispose of the material through recycling efforts where it will be directed into secondary PVC products.
c) MR 4.1 (Recycled Content) – Possible1 LEED point. We have the ability and have been successful in using outside post industrial cellular PVC scrap in our sheet extrusion process at levels in excess of 10%. In addition, we also use material diverted from the waste stream during the manufacturing process which meets the requirements of this category but is also considered rework, regrind or scrap generated in the process which is excluded from LEED point certification.
d) MR 5.1 (Local Materials) – Possible 1 LEED point because 100% of materials used to produce VERSATEX are manufactured within a 500 mile radius of the building. However they are not extracted, harvested or recovered in the vicinity of the plant.
5) Indoor Environmental Quality & Low Emitting Materials: There are no categories within this element that are applicable to VERSATEX or any other cellular PVC trimboard. If this was applicable to outdoor environmental air quality we may be able to qualify for I LEED point since VERSATEX does not require the use of paints and coatings with high VOC content. However, the category is specifically related to indoor air quality.
6) Innovation & Design Process:
a) LEED does not include a credit for durability. If all products used in an exterior envelope complied with the GBI credits, this may qualify VERSATEX for 1 LEED innovation credit if accepted by the USGBC – (DE 1.1).
b) VERSATEX product would comply with GBI credit for a Medium Life Building as defined by the GBI requirements.
c) VERSATEX’s skirtboard may also qualify for a LEED point under the category of innovation and design process since the skirtboard allows contractors and builders to meet the “at grade” installation requirements for fiber cement and composite siding products keeping it a minimum of 6” off grade thus reducing the chances of wicking to occur in the siding which could lead to eventual deterioration of the fiber cement of composite siding.
In summary, we may qualify for 5 LEED points at the very most and under the most ideal situation. At the very least we should be able to claim 2 to 3 LEED points depending on the product used on a particular project. The categories where Versatex is more likely to receive LEED points are MR 5.1 and either MR 4.1 or DE 1.1.
Note: VERSATEX product would also comply with GBI credit for a Medium Life Building as defined by the GBI requirements.