There was a rating system correction at the end of January http://www.usgbc.org/node/10611490 which seems to reduce the value of a Furniture Evaluation complying to Section 7.6.1 of ANSI/BIFMA e3 – 2011 Furniture Sustainability Standard. The correction states that Section 7.6.1 is now worth a half credit by cost and that Section 7.6.2 is worth a full credit by cost. We are just about to order furniture for a v4 project in Dublin and we need compliance with this category.
It seems to me that this means that furniture with a cert to Section 7.6.1 is now only worth 50% of the total cost of that piece of furniture. It isn’t clear in the credit language correction if this is what they mean?
The Low-Emitting Materials Calculator doesn’t work this way and is still giving both Section 7.6.1 & 7.6.2 a value of 100%. Should this be updated in the calculator or have I misunderstood the intention of this correction.
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Joanna Switzer
Sustainability Project ManagerAtkins
59 thumbs up
February 23, 2017 - 12:18 pm
Hi Ian,
For initial consideration, was your project LEED registered prior to 01/27/2017? Technically, all project teams are required to adhere to all Addenda posted BEFORE their registration date. Adherence to Addenda posted AFTER a project registers is optional, but is strongly encouraged. Refer here for that guideline language: http://www.usgbc.org/resources/leed-addenda-database
That aside, it sounds like you are interpreting the technical criteria correctly. If a product ONLY meets 7.6.1, it would be considered 50% compliant, requiring 50% of the total product's purchase cost to be manually entered into the Low-emitting Calculator. The itemized selection costs entered here would then generate the overall compliance calculation using the TOTAL project furniture costs in the Instruction tab, reporting the overall compliance in the Summary tab.
Summarily, as 90% compliance is required overall, a project's success logistically relies upon nearly ALL of furniture costs to be associated with 7.6.2 compliant & sufficiently documented selections.
Depending on your registration date, this may not be an absolute requirement for this particular project, but still something to strive for.....and something to be aware of for all future LEED projects.
Ian Thompson
Project ManagerJohn Sisk & Son (Holdings) Ltd
February 23, 2017 - 12:38 pm
Joanna,
Thanks for your response. Yes we were registered prior to this Addenda being issued so it looks like we're ok. Finding any furniture in Europe that has undergone any ANSI/BIFMA testing is a challenge without losing half the value of what is tested!
Thanks,
Ian
Tommy Linstroth
CEOGreen Badger
LEEDuser Expert
126 thumbs up
October 23, 2017 - 9:52 pm
Just checking - it does not appear that the Low Emitting Materials calculator has actually been updated/released to reflect the change of 50% compliance. All I see is the v3 calculator, and it counts 7.6.1 at 100%. Is there an updated version available that is not the one at https://www.usgbc.org/resources/low-emitting-materials-calculator?
Thanks!
Trista Brown
Project DirectorWSP USA
456 thumbs up
November 28, 2017 - 3:18 pm
Hi Tommy, I'm seeing the same thing you are. It's strange that the addenda was issued back in January and an updated calculator still hasn't been posted.