LEED credits related to Windows

I often field questions relating to specific building components and how a business can determine how their product fits into LEED criteria. The following information is specific to windows and LEED but may also work for other building products as well. It should help to not only to find out how a product relates to LEED, but also to give perspective to what customers go through during the LEED process.

All of this can be found through the USGBC's website, but I thought it might be helpful to place it all in one place. I've included LEED-NC and LEED-H because those are the standards I get the most questions about. Of course, everything depends on the product, the project, and how the builder/customer ends up using and documenting the product.

LEED-Homes relating to Windows

LEED H Checklist – Customers use this to determine which points their project is eligible to receive and help them through the documentation process.

LEED H v2.0 Guide – The latest version of LEED Homes. See Table 18 for information on EnergyStar requirements for windows. A new guide is coming out in 2009.

LEED H Pricing - if your customer is building a LEED-Homes project, here are the fees they may be incurring in addition to the green products they are including.

LEED H EPP list – To see a better list, see page 80 of the LEED H guide. LEED Homes allows each building component to be eligible for points based on their environmentally-preferable attributes. For windows this includes FSC-certified wood, recycled-content, or reclaimed materials, and if all materials are extracted and manufactured within a 500 mile radius of the site they are eligible for the local credit. VOC content and other emissions do not count for points in LEED-Homes in windows.

LEED H VOC and Stains and Sealant list – Although windows are not technically eligible through emissions points in LEED-H, here are the limits for other products that might be used as a benchmark for your own green standards.

LEED-New Construction relating to Windows

LEED NC Checklist – Customers use this to determine which points their project is eligible to receive and help them through the documentation process.

LEED NC v2.2 guide – The latest version LEED New Construction

New Errata for LEED NC as of Oct 2007 - Please see MRc7 for information on FSC content as within LEED NC for components in windows.

LEED NC Certification Fees – if your customer is building a LEED-NC project, here are the fees they may be incurring in addition to the green products they are including.

LEED NC IEQ credits relating to Windows – Mostly refers to VOC content for applications that occur within the building. All other adhesives and VOC levels are labeled here.

LEED NC Adhesives Sealing Charts – The adhesive requirements for point eligibility (mainly used to applications on the site and not in a factory)

Minnesota GreenStar's Remodeling and New Home Construction program also has points relating to windows. I will post those shortly.

Following wood from the forest to the home

Wood is a great building material; it sequesters carbon, can be grown and used in non-toxic organic fashions, and is both highly recyclable and renewable. It also has low embodied energy through its harvesting and manufacturing process, and can be tracked in a way that other materials can't.

Forest Floor to Showroom Floor, Part 1



The Blandin Foundation sponsored a very compelling video of Aitkin County, MN - one of the first forests in the United States to become FSC-certified - which follows wood from a sustainable forest through the manufacturing process, onto the showroom floor and into a green building project. It has been broken into two parts for easier loading. Enjoy!

Forest Floor to Showroom Floor, Part 2

Building a "locally-grown" house in Minnesota

With increased supply and higher levels of consumer awareness, it's becoming easier to track where your food comes from, and ultimately localize your food purchases.

In the building sector, some materials are following suit, the leaders being chain-of-custody certified wood products.


But what about the other building products? It is still not quite as easy as identifying your locally-grown tomatoes at the supermarket, but if you look around in your own backyard, you just might find that a house can be built locally too.

Read the Green Building Materials - Made in Minnesota report for more information and tips on how to build locally in Minnesota. See this map for suggestions of some building materials in your area.

We are currently working on building a series of "Minnesota-Made" houses in an effort to show that building locally is actually possible. The projects will have both a small environmental impact and a large local economic impact. Stay tuned!

Making Windows More Energy-efficient, Part 1

Restoring Old Windows for Energy Efficiency

Green building is not only about new construction. Reusing and improving an existing structure rates very high on the green scale, and right now many people are looking for ways to “green” their existing home. Of course, there are many ways to do this, on many different levels, and deciding exactly where to start can be a very daunting task. Well, never fear because there is a lot of information out there from many reliable sources (check out Dovetail and also the list of other blogs on the right) and now many green building programs have their own remodeling standards that can be used as guidelines for your green remodeling project.

Of course, you don’t have to completely remodel a home to make it more green than before. Here is a short list of ideas to improve a home’s greenness right now, without renovations. One thing that is common to all green remodeling lists is improving energy efficiency, and many times that involves fully replacing the windows on the home. This method can be very effective, but also very expensive. Thankfully, the alternative method of repairing existing windows can also improve a home’s energy-efficiency cost-effectively while maintaining the architectural design integrity of the home. Read on for some tips on restoring old windows for energy-efficiency.

Thinking Beyond Glass

Even with the best glass available, glass as a material is still inefficient. Windows are typically measured in U-value, which is inversely related to R-value, and while they do not measure exactly the same thing, it is helpful when comparing them to walls, which are measured in R-value. To give you an idea, 6” fiberglass batt insulation in an exterior wall is typically labeled R-19. A window that is double-paned low-e argon-filled has a relative R-value of around 3. One pane of glass without low-e glazing is around an R-1. Older homes typically have single-pane glass and a storm window, which results in an R-2 (if properly sealed). You can get new windows with triple-pane argon-filled low-e glazing, but you would be lucky to achieve over an R-4.

So when thinking about windows, look beyond just the glass. Contrary to popular belief, it is not the fancy glass in new windows that makes them better, but the tightly-sealed components of the window. Older windows may become warped (due to a variety of elements), causing the seals loosen, allowing air to flow and heat to transfer. A window in this situation will not be efficient, even if it has low-e argon-filled glass or better. A properly-sealed window makes a big difference.

Types of windows

The type of material your window frame is made from will determine how much heat is lost as well. There are many types of windows.

This article focuses on wood windows because they are the most common in older homes. Wood windows have great insulating properties, use natural materials, and have the ability to be repaired. They are also susceptible to rot, but can last a long time if leaks are sealed and the wood is treated properly or even clad in vinyl or metal. Wood windows typically are nailed together and not glued, and can be disassembled and reassembled in pieces, giving the option of being repaired rather than completely replaced. There are many books on wood window repair. Repairing the cracks and holes in the wood not only makes it look better but also can plug potential air leaks as well.

Properly sealing the home and windows is the best way to ensure that moisture does not collect and cause wood to decay. The next entry will focus on how to seal leaks in old windows to maximize energy-efficiency.

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!