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LEED v4.1
Healthcare
Materials and Resources
Environmental Product Declarations

LEED CREDIT

Healthcare-v4.1 MRc2: Environmental Product Declarations 1-2 points

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USGBC logo

© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.

Intent

To encourage the use of products and materials for which life-cycle information is available and that have environmentally, economically, and socially preferable life-cycle impacts. To reward project teams for selecting products from manufacturers who have verified improved environmental life-cycle impacts.

Requirements

Achieve one or more of the options below, for a maximum of 2 points.

Option 1. Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) (1 point)
Use at least 20 different permanently installed products sourced from at least five different manufacturers that meet one of the disclosure criteria below. (10 different permanently installed products from three different manufacturers for CS and Warehouses & Distribution Centers).
  • Life-cycle assessment and environmental product declarations.
    • Products with a publicly available, critically reviewed life-cycle assessment conforming to ISO 14044 that have at least a cradle to gate scope are valued as one whole product for the purposes of credit achievement calculation.
    • Product-specific Type III EPD -- Internally Reviewed. Products with an internally critically reviewed LCA in accordance with ISO 14071. Products with product-specific internal EPDs which conform to ISO 14025, and EN 15804 or ISO 21930 and have at least a cradle to gate scope are valued as one whole product for the purposes of credit achievement calculation.
    • Industry-wide Type III EPD -- Products with third-party certification (Type III), including external verification, in which the manufacturer is explicitly recognized as a participant by the program operator. Products with industry-wide EPDs, which conform to ISO 14025, and EN 15804 or ISO 21930 and have at least a cradle to gate scope are valued as one whole product for the purposes of credit achievement calculation.
  • Environmental Product Declarations which conform to ISO 14025 and EN 15804 or ISO 21930 and have at least a cradle to gate scope.
    • Product-specific Type III EPD -- Products with third-party certification (Type III), including external verification and external critical review are valued as 1.5 products for the purposes of credit achievement calculation.
    Option 2. Embodied Carbon/LCA Optimization (1 point)
    Use products that have a compliant embodied carbon optimization report or action plan separate from the LCA or EPD. Use at least 5 permanently installed products sourced from at least three different manufacturers. Products are valued according to the table below.
    Report Type Reference Document(s) for the Optimization Report Report Verification Valuation
    Embodied Carbon/LCA Action Plan Product-specific LCA or product-specific Type III EPD Prepared by the manufacturer and signed by company executive ½ product
    Reductions in Embodied Carbon: less than 10% reduction in GWP relative to baseline Baseline: Product-specific LCA, Product-specific Type III EPD, or Industry-wide Type III EPD
    Optimized: Product-specific LCA or product-specific Type III EPD     		Comparative analysis is verified by an independent party 1 product
    Reductions in Embodied Carbon: 10%+ reduction in GWP relative to baseline 1.5 products
    Reductions in Embodied Carbon: 20%+ reduction in GWP and 5%+ reduction in two additional impact categories, relative to baseline Baseline: Product-specific LCA or Product-specific Type III EPD
    Optimized: Product-specific LCA or product-specific Type III EPD     		2 products
    Note: Reference documents for the optimization reports must be compliant with Option 1.
    Impact categories:
    • global warming potential (greenhouse gases), in CO2e;
    • depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer, in kg CFC-11e;
    • acidification of land and water sources, in moles H+ or kg SO2e;
    • eutrophication, in kg nitrogen equivalent or kg phosphate equivalent;
    • formation of tropospheric ozone, in kg NOx, kg O3 eq, or kg ethene; and
    • depletion of nonrenewable energy resources, in MJ using CML / depletion of fossil fuels in TRACI.

    For credit achievement calculation, products sourced (extracted, manufactured, purchased) within 100 miles (160 km) of the project site are valued at twice their base contributing number of products, up to a maximum of 2 products.
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Frequently asked questions

How do you recognize each type of EPD?

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If a company provides an EPD but it does not mention on it that it meets the ISO standards required, can we still submit it for LEED or do we need to have that verification?

 

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See all forum discussions about this credit »

Addenda

4/9/2021 – Updated: 6/10/2021
Form Update
Description of change:
Option 2 has the following changes to the form:
- Title: Change from "Option 2. Multi-Attribute Optimization" to "Option 2. Embodied Carbon/LCA Optimization". Change the title in both the checkbox and the header when Option 2 is selected.
- Change first sentence from "BPDO Calculator" to "Products Calculator"
- Delete the cost-based pathway completely
- Revise note to read "Number of products must be at least 5 for 1 point and 10 for exemplary performance."
See screenshots for details.
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
4/9/2021 – Updated: 6/10/2021
Form Update
Description of change:
Updated to align with v4.1 April 2021 addenda
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
4/9/2021 – Updated: 4/19/2021
Reference Guide Correction
Description of change:
Revise third paragraph under Behind the Intent to read as:
"For Option 2, new pathways are intended to reward initial first steps, leadership in life cycle impact reductions, and optimized products that have lowered embodied carbon and other impacts. The cost threshold has been removed to allow simpler achievement criteria. Option 2 now only has a number of products-based threshold: procure 5 products from at least three different manufacturers. Manufacturers that do not have comparable lifecycle data will find an entry-level pathway in Option 2 that rewards “action plans” for those who demonstrate initiative towards reducing life cycle impacts."

Revise first sentence under Step by Step Guidance to read as:
"Select which option(s) to pursue. Option 1 and 2 are now based on number of products only, and some products may contribute to both Options 1 and 2. "

Revise the second paragraph under Step 3: Calculate Compliance to read as:
"Option 2: The cost-based pathway is no longer available. Choose products that sum to at least 5 products from 3 or more manufacturers that meet at least one of the requirements listed in Option 2...."

Replace Equation 2 under Calculations with:
"The cost-based pathway is no longer used for this credit. See Equation 3 below. "

Delete the first bullet under Equation 3.
Revise the Note under the bullet to read as "Note: no single product may contribute more than 2X value.

In the first sentence of the Option 2 Embodied Carbon/LCA Optimization Report Guidance - Action Plans paragraph, delete "50% of cost or"

In the bullets under Option 2 Embodied Carbon/LCA Optimization Report Guidance, delete all instances of "100% by cost or", "150% by cost or", and 200% by cost or"

In first bullet under Notes on Calculations, replace "200% of cost" with "2X value"
In second paragraph under Exemplary Performance, replace "20% by cost or 20" with "10"
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
4/9/2021 – Updated: 4/19/2021
Rating System Correction
Description of change:
Revise Option 2 to read as follows:
"Use products that have a compliant embodied carbon optimization report or action plan separate from the LCA or EPD. Use at least 5 permanently installed products sourced from at least three different manufacturers. Products are valued according to the table below."

Revise each row the fourth column to delete "or 50% cost", "or 100% cost", "or 150% cost", and "or 200% cost" respectively.

Under the list of impact categories, revise paragraph to delete "cost (or" and "200% of cost or..."
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
11/9/2020 – Updated: 3/1/2021
Rating System Correction
Description of change:
1. Remove “Building Product Disclosure and Optimization” from credit title
2. Option 1: Remove 'in which the manufacturer is explicitly recognized as the participant by the program operator' from Product-specific Type III EPD
3. Option 1 and Option 2: Remove 'USGBC approved program – Products that comply with other USGBC approved environmental product declaration frameworks'.
4. Option 2: In title, replace 'Multi-attribute Optimization' with 'Embodied carbon/LCA Optimization'
5. Replace first two lines in Option 2 as: "Use products that have an embodied carbon optimization report or action plan separate from the LCA or EPD. Reports shall comply with one of the criteria..."
6. Under Option 2, after the line "Products will be valued as below"--insert new table, delete description.
7. Under the table, add note: Reference documents for the optimization reports must be compliant with EPD credit Option 1.
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
11/14/2019 – Updated: 11/14/2019
Form Update
Description of change:
BPDO calculator published 11/08/2019
updated 11/14/2019 to correct row lock issue
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
Yes
See all forum discussions about this credit »

Documentation toolkit

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LEEDuser’s Documentation Toolkit is loaded with calculators to help assess credit compliance, tracking spreadsheets for materials, sample templates to help guide your narratives and LEED Online submissions, and examples of actual submissions from certified LEED projects for you to check your work against. To get your plaque, start with the right toolkit.

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USGBC logo

© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.

Intent

To encourage the use of products and materials for which life-cycle information is available and that have environmentally, economically, and socially preferable life-cycle impacts. To reward project teams for selecting products from manufacturers who have verified improved environmental life-cycle impacts.

Requirements

Achieve one or more of the options below, for a maximum of 2 points.

Option 1. Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) (1 point)
Use at least 20 different permanently installed products sourced from at least five different manufacturers that meet one of the disclosure criteria below. (10 different permanently installed products from three different manufacturers for CS and Warehouses & Distribution Centers).
  • Life-cycle assessment and environmental product declarations.
    • Products with a publicly available, critically reviewed life-cycle assessment conforming to ISO 14044 that have at least a cradle to gate scope are valued as one whole product for the purposes of credit achievement calculation.
    • Product-specific Type III EPD -- Internally Reviewed. Products with an internally critically reviewed LCA in accordance with ISO 14071. Products with product-specific internal EPDs which conform to ISO 14025, and EN 15804 or ISO 21930 and have at least a cradle to gate scope are valued as one whole product for the purposes of credit achievement calculation.
    • Industry-wide Type III EPD -- Products with third-party certification (Type III), including external verification, in which the manufacturer is explicitly recognized as a participant by the program operator. Products with industry-wide EPDs, which conform to ISO 14025, and EN 15804 or ISO 21930 and have at least a cradle to gate scope are valued as one whole product for the purposes of credit achievement calculation.
  • Environmental Product Declarations which conform to ISO 14025 and EN 15804 or ISO 21930 and have at least a cradle to gate scope.
    • Product-specific Type III EPD -- Products with third-party certification (Type III), including external verification and external critical review are valued as 1.5 products for the purposes of credit achievement calculation.
    Option 2. Embodied Carbon/LCA Optimization (1 point)
    Use products that have a compliant embodied carbon optimization report or action plan separate from the LCA or EPD. Use at least 5 permanently installed products sourced from at least three different manufacturers. Products are valued according to the table below.
    Report Type Reference Document(s) for the Optimization Report Report Verification Valuation
    Embodied Carbon/LCA Action Plan Product-specific LCA or product-specific Type III EPD Prepared by the manufacturer and signed by company executive ½ product
    Reductions in Embodied Carbon: less than 10% reduction in GWP relative to baseline Baseline: Product-specific LCA, Product-specific Type III EPD, or Industry-wide Type III EPD
    Optimized: Product-specific LCA or product-specific Type III EPD     		Comparative analysis is verified by an independent party 1 product
    Reductions in Embodied Carbon: 10%+ reduction in GWP relative to baseline 1.5 products
    Reductions in Embodied Carbon: 20%+ reduction in GWP and 5%+ reduction in two additional impact categories, relative to baseline Baseline: Product-specific LCA or Product-specific Type III EPD
    Optimized: Product-specific LCA or product-specific Type III EPD     		2 products
    Note: Reference documents for the optimization reports must be compliant with Option 1.
    Impact categories:
    • global warming potential (greenhouse gases), in CO2e;
    • depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer, in kg CFC-11e;
    • acidification of land and water sources, in moles H+ or kg SO2e;
    • eutrophication, in kg nitrogen equivalent or kg phosphate equivalent;
    • formation of tropospheric ozone, in kg NOx, kg O3 eq, or kg ethene; and
    • depletion of nonrenewable energy resources, in MJ using CML / depletion of fossil fuels in TRACI.

    For credit achievement calculation, products sourced (extracted, manufactured, purchased) within 100 miles (160 km) of the project site are valued at twice their base contributing number of products, up to a maximum of 2 products.

In the end, LEED is all about documentation. LEEDuser’s Documentation Toolkit, for premium members only, saves you time and helps you avoid mistakes with:

  • Calculators to help assess credit compliance.
  • Tracking spreadsheets for materials purchases.
  • Spreadsheets and forms to give to subs and other team members.
  • Guidance documents on arcane LEED issues.
  • Sample templates to help guide your narratives and LEED Online submissions.
  • Examples of actual submissions from certified LEED projects.

How do you recognize each type of EPD?

The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial »

(If you're already a premium member, log in here.)

If a company provides an EPD but it does not mention on it that it meets the ISO standards required, can we still submit it for LEED or do we need to have that verification?

 

The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial »

(If you're already a premium member, log in here.)
4/9/2021 – Updated: 6/10/2021
Form Update
Description of change:
Option 2 has the following changes to the form:
- Title: Change from "Option 2. Multi-Attribute Optimization" to "Option 2. Embodied Carbon/LCA Optimization". Change the title in both the checkbox and the header when Option 2 is selected.
- Change first sentence from "BPDO Calculator" to "Products Calculator"
- Delete the cost-based pathway completely
- Revise note to read "Number of products must be at least 5 for 1 point and 10 for exemplary performance."
See screenshots for details.
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
4/9/2021 – Updated: 6/10/2021
Form Update
Description of change:
Updated to align with v4.1 April 2021 addenda
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
4/9/2021 – Updated: 4/19/2021
Reference Guide Correction
Description of change:
Revise third paragraph under Behind the Intent to read as:
"For Option 2, new pathways are intended to reward initial first steps, leadership in life cycle impact reductions, and optimized products that have lowered embodied carbon and other impacts. The cost threshold has been removed to allow simpler achievement criteria. Option 2 now only has a number of products-based threshold: procure 5 products from at least three different manufacturers. Manufacturers that do not have comparable lifecycle data will find an entry-level pathway in Option 2 that rewards “action plans” for those who demonstrate initiative towards reducing life cycle impacts."

Revise first sentence under Step by Step Guidance to read as:
"Select which option(s) to pursue. Option 1 and 2 are now based on number of products only, and some products may contribute to both Options 1 and 2. "

Revise the second paragraph under Step 3: Calculate Compliance to read as:
"Option 2: The cost-based pathway is no longer available. Choose products that sum to at least 5 products from 3 or more manufacturers that meet at least one of the requirements listed in Option 2...."

Replace Equation 2 under Calculations with:
"The cost-based pathway is no longer used for this credit. See Equation 3 below. "

Delete the first bullet under Equation 3.
Revise the Note under the bullet to read as "Note: no single product may contribute more than 2X value.

In the first sentence of the Option 2 Embodied Carbon/LCA Optimization Report Guidance - Action Plans paragraph, delete "50% of cost or"

In the bullets under Option 2 Embodied Carbon/LCA Optimization Report Guidance, delete all instances of "100% by cost or", "150% by cost or", and 200% by cost or"

In first bullet under Notes on Calculations, replace "200% of cost" with "2X value"
In second paragraph under Exemplary Performance, replace "20% by cost or 20" with "10"
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
4/9/2021 – Updated: 4/19/2021
Rating System Correction
Description of change:
Revise Option 2 to read as follows:
"Use products that have a compliant embodied carbon optimization report or action plan separate from the LCA or EPD. Use at least 5 permanently installed products sourced from at least three different manufacturers. Products are valued according to the table below."

Revise each row the fourth column to delete "or 50% cost", "or 100% cost", "or 150% cost", and "or 200% cost" respectively.

Under the list of impact categories, revise paragraph to delete "cost (or" and "200% of cost or..."
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
11/9/2020 – Updated: 3/1/2021
Rating System Correction
Description of change:
1. Remove “Building Product Disclosure and Optimization” from credit title
2. Option 1: Remove 'in which the manufacturer is explicitly recognized as the participant by the program operator' from Product-specific Type III EPD
3. Option 1 and Option 2: Remove 'USGBC approved program – Products that comply with other USGBC approved environmental product declaration frameworks'.
4. Option 2: In title, replace 'Multi-attribute Optimization' with 'Embodied carbon/LCA Optimization'
5. Replace first two lines in Option 2 as: "Use products that have an embodied carbon optimization report or action plan separate from the LCA or EPD. Reports shall comply with one of the criteria..."
6. Under Option 2, after the line "Products will be valued as below"--insert new table, delete description.
7. Under the table, add note: Reference documents for the optimization reports must be compliant with EPD credit Option 1.
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
11/14/2019 – Updated: 11/14/2019
Form Update
Description of change:
BPDO calculator published 11/08/2019
updated 11/14/2019 to correct row lock issue
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
Yes

LEEDuser expert

headshot

Tommy Linstroth

Green Badger
CEO

See all LEEDuser forum discussions about this credit » Subscribe to new discussions about Healthcare-v4.1 MRc2