by Andrea Pelland, Principal, EcoAmmo Sustainable Consulting Inc. Reposted from Perspectives Alberta Chapter CaGBC
If you’re a product manufacturer wondering how your product or material can help achieve LEED points, don’t worry – you’re not alone.
Confusion as to how the use of product or material can contribute to the achievement of LEED points has led to hastily prepared LEED compatibility forms with misleading or incorrect information.
Most often, these mistakes reflect a lack of knowledge about LEED rather than deliberate attempts to sell products, but manufacturers should be aware that the market is evolving and LEED users are becoming much more savvy.
Having poorly prepared LEED materials could hurt your reputation. On the other hand, having well-researched and easy-to-understand LEED compatibility information will make it simple and painless for users to specify your product, leaving them feeling assured that you know your stuff!
Below are two of the most common errors we see:
#1. LEED compatibility forms should tell people which LEED credits the product is compatible with. In other words, articulate how the product will help contribute to the achievement of LEED points.
Many LEED forms on the market today state the use of a product will achieve LEED points, or even claim a product is LEED certified. Both of these statements are incorrect because no products are certified or endorsed by LEED, and no LEED credits can be achieved by using just one product! If you ever see claims like these, beware!
#2. Many LEED forms confuse product features with LEED compatibility. For example, you might manufacture a hand dryer that contains recycled content in the plastic casing; you might then assume the use of your hand dryer will contribute to the Recycled Content credit.
However, the truth is very different. Although the fact that your product contains recycled content is AMAZING and should be plastered all over your marketing materials, the Recycled Content credit does not include mechanical, electrical or plumbing components, and therefore the use of your hand dryer that contains recycled content will not contribute to the achievement of Recycled Content LEED points and should not be included on your LEED compatibility forms.
It is important to understand that your LEED forms should stick to "just the facts, ma’am." After careful investigation, you may find your product is directly compatible with only one or two LEED points – that’s okay! It is more important that those one or two points are well thought out and accurate, rather than listing 10 credits that are not actually useful to the LEED user.
When your LEED forms are more about product features than actual LEED compatibility, the user will be left feeling skeptical about your LEED knowledge and annoyed at having to re-do your work for themselves.
If any of you have had to track down LEED compatibility for yourselves, you will know how frustrating and time consuming the process can be. Therefore, it is very important to thoroughly research and understand how your product fits within the various LEED systems and how to best communicate this to LEED users.
For more information, contact us WE can help!
If you’re a product manufacturer wondering how your product or material can help achieve LEED points, don’t worry – you’re not alone.
Confusion as to how the use of product or material can contribute to the achievement of LEED points has led to hastily prepared LEED compatibility forms with misleading or incorrect information.
Most often, these mistakes reflect a lack of knowledge about LEED rather than deliberate attempts to sell products, but manufacturers should be aware that the market is evolving and LEED users are becoming much more savvy.
Having poorly prepared LEED materials could hurt your reputation. On the other hand, having well-researched and easy-to-understand LEED compatibility information will make it simple and painless for users to specify your product, leaving them feeling assured that you know your stuff!
Below are two of the most common errors we see:
#1. LEED compatibility forms should tell people which LEED credits the product is compatible with. In other words, articulate how the product will help contribute to the achievement of LEED points.
Many LEED forms on the market today state the use of a product will achieve LEED points, or even claim a product is LEED certified. Both of these statements are incorrect because no products are certified or endorsed by LEED, and no LEED credits can be achieved by using just one product! If you ever see claims like these, beware!
#2. Many LEED forms confuse product features with LEED compatibility. For example, you might manufacture a hand dryer that contains recycled content in the plastic casing; you might then assume the use of your hand dryer will contribute to the Recycled Content credit.
However, the truth is very different. Although the fact that your product contains recycled content is AMAZING and should be plastered all over your marketing materials, the Recycled Content credit does not include mechanical, electrical or plumbing components, and therefore the use of your hand dryer that contains recycled content will not contribute to the achievement of Recycled Content LEED points and should not be included on your LEED compatibility forms.
It is important to understand that your LEED forms should stick to "just the facts, ma’am." After careful investigation, you may find your product is directly compatible with only one or two LEED points – that’s okay! It is more important that those one or two points are well thought out and accurate, rather than listing 10 credits that are not actually useful to the LEED user.
When your LEED forms are more about product features than actual LEED compatibility, the user will be left feeling skeptical about your LEED knowledge and annoyed at having to re-do your work for themselves.
If any of you have had to track down LEED compatibility for yourselves, you will know how frustrating and time consuming the process can be. Therefore, it is very important to thoroughly research and understand how your product fits within the various LEED systems and how to best communicate this to LEED users.
For more information, contact us WE can help!
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