Sourcing FSC for LEED

Understanding how FSC and LEED work together can be complicated, and trying to source FSC can be downright frustrating.

Here are some sources and tips to make the most of your FSC-sourcing experience for a LEED project. The first places to start are the Designing and Building with FSC Guide and FSC's LEED webpage.

1. Confirm which LEED program your client is trying to achieve

Each LEED program has different requirements for obtaining points through wood materials. While most have similar criteria relating to FSC, a few are a little different.

Below is a simplified view of the FSC "certified wood" credits within LEED. See specific program guides for detailed information. The USGBC has recently updated some of the standards overall, so make sure you are working from the most recent version.

• All programs require that tropical hardwoods must be FSC-certified (no points are rewarded), while other FSC-related credits are voluntary and qualify for additional points.
  

• LEED-Homes recognizes different building components separately and requires that a component be made of 90% FSC-certified material to get the FSC "certified wood" credit. This 90% is calculated by weight or volume.

• LEED-New Construction, LEED Core & Shell, LEED-Schools, LEED-Retail, and LEED-Commercial Interiors require that at least 50% of the combined total of all wood building materials be FSC-certified (by cost) to achieve the FSC "certified wood" credit. This includes all permanent fixtures in the building, and can include furniture if it is included consistently in other MR credits not related to reuse or waste management.

• LEED-Existing Buildings and LEED-Neighborhood Development have no credits for FSC-certified components.

• LEED-Healthcare is currently under construction and will most likely have its own set of FSC-related standards.

Understanding the basics of LEED will be also be a valuable asset on future projects. Some contractors are even becoming LEED Accredited Professionals to enhance understanding and get an edge in the market. Click here for some tips on taking the LEED-AP exam.

2. Identify your FSC Chain-of-Custody number.

Your chain-of-custody number is necessary to prove your product's FSC authenticity on the LEED submittal.

Does your product even need FSC Chain-of-Custody certification? To sell a product as FSC, your company must hold CoC certificates for FSC wood products that your company has changed in any way from the time it became your inventory. This sometimes includes distributors and retailers, but not always. Go to FSC's FAQ regarding the LEED certified wood credit page for certification requirements.

Are you looking to become FSC certified? Visit FSC's "Getting Certified" webpage for more information, or go directly to the list of FSC Certifiers to set up an audit. One tip: get multiple quotes from different certifiers as prices can differ between auditing companies and per location. The FSC Chain-of-Custody Fact Sheet can also answer any and all questions about the auditing process.

Are you a small business owner? Chain-of-custody group certification can be a way to lessen the initial and annual costs of FSC certification, and link you to other FSC-certified companies.

Can you use the FSC logo on your product, website, or marketing materials? Read FSC's Clarification and Guidance to Trademark Use to find out. Proper logo placement is very important. If you are unsure, contact your FSC auditor.

Still want to learn more about FSC? Changes to FSC criteria just happened recently. Read more on documents related to FSC, the complete FSC certification standards and policies, or any of Dovetail Partners' Reports on FSC-certification.

3. Research what FSC materials are available in your area

FSC-certified high-character birch from Aitkin County, Minnesota;
created by Custom Creations

To maximize financial benefits and provide high-quality FSC-certified materials, first find out what is available in your region, and then use that material.

Designers often specify FSC-certified clear-grade wood without realizing that it may not be readily available - yet. Sometimes in sustainably-managed forests smaller diameter trees are harvested first to encourage forest diversity and allow medium-sized trees to grow larger. This can give the impression that FSC has to cost a lot more or that there is no FSC available, when character-grade material might be readily available locally at a fraction of the cost. Shopping according to what is available increases your chances of securing an FSC product, and buying locally supports your local economy, reduces costs, achieves LEED points and decreases environmental impacts from transportation.

This FSC-certified basswood ceiling and birch staircase from Aikin County, MN demonstrate how
character-grade material creates a beautiful impact

Here are a few resources for finding FSC-certified wood*:

FSC search engine
Forest Certification Resource Center (Metafore)
Smartguide to Sourcing Green Building Products
Sustainable Woods Network
Healthy Forests Healthy Communities
Upper Mississippi Certified Forests Products Group

(*Please note: these databases may only search manufacturers and distributors, not retailers. To find products carried by your local retailer, contact them directly. Remember that a product made from FSC-wood that was purchased from a retailer without chain-of-custody certificate may not be called an FSC product [even if your company is has its own CoC] because it breaks the chain)

Image courtesy of Dovetail Partners, Inc.

Finding local FSC is not easy for everyone. Forest ownership patterns in the US have influenced the concentration of FSC forests. For example, areas with a large number of family forests or Federal Forests may not have a lot of FSC. Small group certification can help small businesses and family forest landowners increase the amount of FSC-managed forests and create a centralized hub of FSC wood product supply. Currently there is no comprehensive list of group certificates, but you can find out more about group certification and see some examples at the Family Forest Alliance.

The amount of federal forestland in your state may also reflect a limited supply of FSC (National Forests currently cannot be FSC-certified). This is understandably a very controversial debate. If you would like to see National Forests in your area become FSC certified, talk to the National Forest Service and also to FSC-US. For an example of a drafted letter concerning this topic, go here.

If there is still no FSC in your region, there may be products from other sustainable forestry programs in your area, such as SFI, PEFC, CSA, and ATFS. While LEED does not recognize any other sustainable forestry standards besides FSC at this time, the other certification systems may still fit your sustainability criteria. You may also be able to obtain points through the "regional materials" credit by using one of these alternatives if they are local. To see detailed reports on the different certification systems and their own specific criteria, go here.

Greenbush Update - The Waiting Game

Before, we were waiting for the final drawings to be done (our architects pushed it through remarkably fast, so thank you!), and now we're playing the waiting game again.

Rendering for Greenbush, MN project, via Vivus Arhictecture + Design

This will hopefully meet the LEED-H criteria once it is built, use local materials, and also teach the local community and contractors about green building.

As I posted earlier, we are currently waiting for construction bids to come back. It is hunting season in Minnesota so we're expecting the first bids to come in by December 1st.

We are also exploring options for financing the construction loan. We have had one amazing person offer a personal donation but we will only use that if we cannot obtain the construction loan through the bank. The housing market has changed so drastically in the last 18 months and it is not as easy to get a fully-covered construction loan as it used to be, even for a green, energy-efficient house. We still need to sell the house eventually and the market isn't as promising as we'd like. The hope is to pre-sell the home first to someone working at the Central Boiler plant, since their expansion was what initially prompted the need for housing in that area.

In the meantime, I am going over the LEED-H criteria in anticipation of questions, questions, and questions!

Stay tuned for more updates!

Call for LEED Providers

USGBC announces a call for new LEED for Homes Certification Providers.

The attached Request for Qualifications (RFQ) includes background information on the LEED for Homes Program, the submittal instructions for organizations interested in applying to be selected as LEED for Homes Certification Providers, and a six-page submittal form.

USGBC plans to establish contractual relationships with approximately 20 new LEED for Homes Certification Providers. These Providers will be the primary verification and certification agents for the LEED for Homes program, with USGBC providing quality assurance oversight. Each Provider organization will be responsible for the selection, training, scheduling, and quality assurance of a team of in-field inspectors and/or green raters.

Submittals are due to USGBC by 5 PM EDT on Wednesday, November 28, 2007. Submittals that are not complete will be disqualified.

If you have questions, please send them to homes@committees.usgbc.org

In the LEED-Homes pilot program there were initially only 12 providers to be "responsible for selecting appropriate pilot projects and verifying that the homes were built to meet the requirements of the rating system". The provider for the Greenbush LEED-H project has done very well to accommodate our needs, but I have heard that for other projects it can be a challenge, both in terms of scheduling and location.

This is an interesting issue that green building programs face; to truly be a third-party certification system, certifiers should not technically be from either side of the camp (the agency that creates the certification standards nor the builder of the project), and yet they should be knowledgeable enough of both sides to certify a project. Ensuring there are enough qualified certifying bodies can be a demanding goal to achieve.

Now that the USGBC is launching LEED for Homes, they are calling for more providers. This will hopefully make the program accessible to more people in more regions.


By the way, if you are a USGBC member, voting for LEED-EB (Existing Buildings) and LEED-H is now open. Voting ends Monday, November 26, 2007 at 5:00 PM EST.

Greenbush Update

Last week on November 1st, the team met with local builders, contractors, and community members about the Greenbush project. Complete sets of blueprints as well as criteria and information about LEED for Homes was provided.

It is about to be hunting season, so the contractors will have one month to put together their bids.

Our initial thought was to have an open bidding process, but because of the turnout and loyalty from people since the beginning, only interested parties will have the opportunity to bid.

We have hired NWCAA to act as the supervisor on the project. We are still looking for a general contractor, which caused some initial confusion as to who was available to bid. We are encouraging each submitting general contractor needs to seek proposals from each subcontractor/contractor that has been involved so far, not just the ones they are used to working with. Once the proposals come in, we may go over everything and change subcontractors or even add more to make sure the project gets the most economic development impact. This is not a normal route for building construction, and makes some GCs wary, understandably so. However, this is why we hired Tim from NWCAA to supervise the GC.

This project is not "normal" and is attempting a different structure in order to reach the greatest amount of people. Aitkin was the same way - lots of questions and concerns and changes - and in the end, it worked out great.

One other concern expressed was the amount of work involved in documenting for LEED. After we choose all contractors, we will be holding a meeting with our LEED provider, who can hopefully answer some of their questions and spell the benefit for them. They have no problem understanding why energy-efficiency and "green" is good, but the documentation process seems like a bit much, so far.

Overall, the reception of the blueprints was positive, and the group seems anxious to get started!

Minnesota Climate Change Initiatives

Taking steps for climate change has reached the local level in a big way. Mayors and cities councils in Minnesota (and across the world) have declared their intentions of working with a number of programs, which are going to have some impacts on how buildings are built in Minnesota.

Below is the list of Minnesota cities and counties that have formally declared their intent through the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, the Sierra Club's Cool Counties or Cool Cities, and/or Cities for Climate Protection in an effort to lessen their local contribution to global climate change:

Apple Valley
Aurora
Bemidji
Buhl
Burnsville
Chisholm
Duluth
Eagan
Eden Prairie
Edina

Hennepin County

Hibbing

Hutchinson
International Falls
Lake City
Mahtomedi
Milan
Minneapolis
Mountain Iron
Ramsey County

Red Wing
Rochester
Roseville
Sauk Rapids
St. Paul
Sunfish Lake
Tower
Turtle River
Virginia
White Bear Lake
Winona

In addition, Minnesota also recently became the seventh state to pass the “Next Generation Energy Act of 2007” into policy, which sets a state goal of certifying 100 commercial buildings to the Green Globes or U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED standard by December 31, 2010. The bill also mandates utilities to include in their conservation improvement plans programs that facilitate professional engineering verification to qualify a building as Green Globes-certified, Energy Star-labeled or LEED-certified.

Be sure to keep an eye out for more great Minnesota initiatives, and if you can, attend the Mayors' Forum on Green Initiatives on November 27, 2007, 3:45 - 6:00 p.m. at the University of Minnesota to see more on what is happening in the Twin Cities regarding green initiatives. Click here for more information.

Do you know of any local climate change initiatives not mentioned here? Let me know!

And great job, Minnesota!

Building Materials and LEED

I wanted to pass this great information along; it is not new information but sometimes it helps to see it all in one place.

Salvaged Wood from Minnesota

Inhabitat has a great comprehensive working list of what one should look for when choosing building materials. Be sure to check out Part One for specifics on LEED-Homes and material selection.

Green Building 101: Materials and Resources Part One
Green Building 101: Materials and Resources Part Two

And don't forget about the option of a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). While definitely not the most simple way to choose materials, it is the most complete way to ensure that your structure will use the least amount of embodied energy via materials.

And if all else fails and everything seems too complicated, remember that choosing something locally is always a good choice.