LEED® for Composite Wood and Agrifiber Products

LEED^®, the US originated rating system for sustainable buildings, is requested by more and more building planners in the USA and in Europe and at the Gulf.

Copies of that rating system can be found in the Gulf region, in Italy, in Australia, and in some Asian regions. Slightly different approaches are in use in Europe, see also here.

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is a non profit organization that developed and administers the LEED^® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System.

Please see our presentation on LEED^® - a new challenge for low VOC emission materials, as presentation slides and as paper, held at CERTECH conference on Odours and Emissions from Materials in October 2009.

Indoor Environmental Quality specifications by LEED^®, EQ credit 4.4

There are requirements on formaldehyde emitted from composite wood and agrifiber products in the LEED^® 2009 specifications for

Composite wood and agrifiber products are defined as: Particleboard, medium density fiberboard (MDF), plywood, wheatboard, strawboard, panel substrates and door cores.

These products must contain no added urea-formaldehyde resins when used on the interior of the building. The same applies to laminate adhesives used to fabricate on-site and shop-applied composite wood and agrifiber assemblies.Testing is not required.

Materials considered fixtures, furniture, and equipment (FF&E) are not included. The same applies to products covered by LEED^® EQ Credit 4.5 dealing with system furniture and seating.

There are VOC emission requirements for composite wood and agrifiber products in the LEED^® 2009 specifications for

Schools

All products must meet the testing and product requirements of the California Department of Public Health Standard Practice for the Testing of Volatile Organic Emissions from Various Sources Using Small-Scale Environmental Chambers, including 2004 Addenda - also called Section 01350 specification. This is shown by emission chamber testing in an independent laboratory, such as Eurofins Product Testing A/S.

Other points may be achieved for recyclable and for recycled content.

LEED 2012 open for public comment

LEED 2012 with important changes and additions is open for 3^rd public comment in March, 2012. You can see details on major proposed changes and commenting procedure on our special page and in our blogs.

Using synergies

If a manufacturer needs VOC testing for markets on both sides of the Atlantic, then Eurofins can help saving money by combining all required testing into one test setup. This service is unique in whole world. No single other testing laboratory is approved for VOC emission chamber testing by so many organizations both for US purposes and for European labels such as Blue Angel, EMICODE and M1, combining this with a world-wide valid ISO 17025 accreditation.

Further Information

Please see our flyer on LEED^® issues in English or in French, or contact our specialists for using Eurofins expertise that may help to show compliance of your products with LEED low emitting interiors credit.

More information on this website is touching LEED in general and for several product groups, low VOC ecolabels and regulations, and VOC testing as such. You may also look for LEED related seminars and webinars.

Further information regarding LEED:

USGBC Contact page
USGBC Customer Service page
LEED FAQ
LEED User with tips, help and discussion forum
LEED Rating systems
LEED Addenda with updates and clarifications
GBC Italia Contact page

There is a European database with products showing compliance with LEED or DGNB criteria. This database is not comprehensive but it can show you a selection of relevant products.

Contact to VOC Testing Laboratories

Please see here contact information of Eurofins VOC testing laboratories in Europe, USA and China:
www.eurofins.com/voc-contacts.

Order forms and testing request forms are available for free download here.

Note: "U.S. Green Building Council", "USGBC", "LEED" and related logos are trademarks owned by the U.S. Green Building Council and used by permission.