GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Architects, designers, facility managers and business leaders pursuing LEED certification may now be able to earn credit for specifying level® certified furniture products under the USGBC’s new Pilot Credit 80: Environmentally Preferable Interior Finishes and Furnishings – a credit that specifically recognizes products that have been third-party certified to the ANSI/BIFMA e3 Furniture Sustainability Standard.
About Pilot Credit 80
The purpose of LEED Pilot Credit 80 is to increase the use of interior finishes and furnishings with validated multi-attribute environmental and social profiles. While the furniture sustainability standard is presently the only product standard named, the USGBC is seeking input on other third-party certified products to include.
The LEED Pilot is a rating system development tool designed to test new and revised LEED credit language, alternative compliance paths and new or innovative green building technologies and concepts. The pilot credit offers a feedback loop for both testing and comments. USGBC collects, organizes and integrates feedback to evolve and refine pilot credits during their testing period, with a goal of adding successful credits to the USGBC member-balloted LEED rating system.
How it Works
As part of Pilot Credit 80, all level certified furniture products may contribute to LEED certification credits based on a sliding percentage scale for level 1, 2 or 3 product conformance tiers. A project must include at least five different third-party certified products that account for at least 50 percent of the total interior finishes and furnishing materials by cost (Source: USGBC Pilot Credit 80). Pilot Credit 80 was posted in the LEED Pilot Credit Library on June 10.
About level
level is the sustainability certification program for furniture. It is a multi-attribute evaluation of the environmental and social impacts of furniture products. Products are certified level 1, level 2 or level 3 (3 being the highest certification), by a third-party, independent certifying body that measures compliance with the ANSI/BIFMA e3 Furniture Sustainability Standard.
