Why is LEED Certification Important For You?
Are you asking yourself, what is a LEED Certified Building? You’re not the only one. There have been many questions lobbied our way regarding Sashco products’ LEEDTM certification.
Here are some facts for you to know:
What does LEED stand for?
Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design
What is LEED?
LEED is an internationally recognized environmental program and is currently deployed in more than 30 countries. It provides a point system framework for verifying that a structure is designed and built in a way that will improve energy savings, water efficiency, indoor environmental quality, and reduce CO2 emissions. Points are given for various energy savings designs installed or environmentally favorable materials used. Those points add up to LEED certification.
Why do people care about LEED certification for their buildings?
1) Money; and 2) environmental friendliness.
1) Money: There are many tax credits available for LEED construction and some say the long-term energy savings also add up, along with increasing the LEED building’s value. There are many federal and state tax credit available that can add up to a lot. We found one mention of a contractor who received $1.80 per sq. ft. for a 20,000 sq. ft. building. That’s $36,000! The actual credits vary year-to-year with tax code changes, as well as by state, type of construction and total LEED points. It’s important to note that this is a tax CREDIT, not a deduction. Tax credits are for the full amount, far more advantageous than a deduction, of which only a small percentage is deducted.
2) Environmental friendliness: LEED certified buildings reduce waste sent to landfills, conserve energy and water and reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions. Plus, as an added bonus, LEED buildings lower operating costs and are said to be healthier and safer for occupants.
Are products LEED certified?
No. Only the structure itself is LEED certified. Products used are allotted a certain amount of LEED points. The sum of the points is what makes a building LEED certified. The minimum points required varies by type of construction, but is generally 40-45. The more LEED points earned (all the way up to the platinum LEED certification max. of 136 points), the more tax credits they get – along with more bragging rights.
So, are any Sashco products worth any LEED points?
YES. The Sashco products listed below are worth 1 LEED point.
- Big Stretch®
- Conceal®
- eXact color™
- Log Builder®
- Log Jam®
- MildewFree
- Mor-Flexx®
- Slab®
- Through the ROOF! ® (Only the California low-VOC formula)
- Capture® Log Stain
- Cascade®
- Symphony®
- Transformation Stain® Log & Timber
- Transformation Stain® Siding & Trim
- Transformation Stain ® Deck & Fence
Which products are NOT worth any LEED points?
- Lexel®
- All other Through the ROOF!® formulas
Want to know more?
Visit the main LEED certification website at www.usgbc.org/LEED, so that the next time someone asks “What is a LEED certified building?”, you can be the one to answer.