Alternative chemicals for fire suppression systems include HFCs, water, foam, and carbon dioxide. More information can be found at EPA’s website (see Resources).
Ensure that your building fire suppression systems do not use halons, CFCs, or HCFCs.
If your fire suppression systems use any of these materials, you will not be able to comply with this credit. Verify this information first before moving on to the next step.
Purchasing and data tracking must cover the entire building, including tenant spaces, with the exception that your project team may exclude purchases for up to 10% of the building floor area if that area is under separate management.
Track all durable goods purchased during the performance period.
Salvaged furniture can be cost-neutral or better, but other furniture alternatives often carry a price premium.
Though this is not included in the credit language, past LEED projects have purchased low-emitting furniture, such as Greenguard Indoor Air Quality Certified furniture, and furniture meeting the maximum indoor air concentrations of ANSI/BIFMA M7.1-2007, as a way to contribute to earning this credit.
Salvaged material can originate off-site or onsite; if it is from onsite, it must be part of an established internal program focusing on material reuse—you can't just shuffle equipment around the office.
Sustainabile furniture includes products that contain the following:
Recycled content
Rapidly renewable materials
Forest Stewardship Council certified wood
Regional materials (extracted and processed within 500 miles)
Salvaged materials.
MRc2.2: Furniture
Energy Star electronics and appliances are typically cost-competitive with their conventional counterparts.