If you plan to make any purchases of durable goods during the performance period, you are eligible to earn this credit—there is no minimum purchasing requirement. The purchases can occur during the performance period, or up to two years prior to the end date of the performance period. If you are going to or have purchased any furniture or electric-powered equipment during that time, it may qualify for the credit criteria.

For this credit, durable goods are classified as either furniture or electronics. The infrequent need to replace these types of items can be an impediment to earning the credit—if you don’t need to make any purchases during the performance period, you can’t earn the credit. With a little foresight, though, you should be able to coordinate the replacement of some durable items to coincide with the performance period.

Note that some items can be classified as either “durable goods” or “ongoing consumables.” Don’t sweat the difference too much—just make sure you classify items consistently across this and other LEED credits, including MRc1: Sustainable Purchasing—Ongoing Consumables.

Two options: furniture and electronics

MRc2.1 awards a point to projects that purchase at least 40% of electric-powered equipment that meets the sustainability criteria.

MRc2.2 awards a point to projects that purchase at least 40% of furniture that meets the sustainability criteria. You can pursue either MRc2.1 or MRc2.2, or both.

Because Energy Star electric-powered equipment is so widely available and cost-competitive, it’s more common for teams to choose this option. The furniture option is pursued less frequently, but it may be a convenient one for projects that expect tenant turnover during the performance period, for larger buildings that have a high volume of furniture, or for buildings that have an active furniture reuse program.

Your tracking system can make or break the credit

Having a system for tracking your purchases of durable goods is key to achieving this credit. If you don’t have one in place already, you’ll need to establish one. To streamline the tracking of your purchases, develop tracking systems for ongoing consumables purchases and durable goods purchases in tandem.

Keep in mind that your purchasing tracking must cover the entire building, including tenant spaces, with one exception—you can exclude purchases for up to 10% of the building floor area if that area is under separate management. The need to cover the whole building makes documentation and compliance very difficult for multi-tenant buildings, which often choose not to pursue this credit. 

Consider these questions when approaching this credit

• Which individuals or departments are responsible for procuring goods that are eligible for this credit?
• Has your project purchased, or will it purchase, any electronics, appliances, or furniture within two years of the anticipated end date of the performance period? If so, you might be eligible to earn this credit.
• Do any electronics or furniture need to be replaced? Schedule replacement of these goods during the performance period to qualify for this credit.
• Is there a system to track purchasing of all durable goods? If not, you will need to establish one to earn this credit.