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Spec Shaman: LEED v4
The LEED v4 rating system is the most successful and widely used green building rating system on the planet. The LEED v4 blog posts are for building product manufacturers, architects, students, and other professionals who wish to learn more about LEED certification. The blog topics include: LEED specifications, LEED exam prep, LEED points, and other green building issues. Users are encouraged to comment on the blogs and provide an interactive experience. Guest bloggers are always welcome and can contact us for blog submission information.
On: Dec 12, 2018
Several building product manufacturers still have no sustainability expert or advocate in 2018. It’s hard to believe that there are still major product manufacturers and many small to medium sized companies that have nobody on their team that is versed in LEED or green building. The companies that do have sustainability champions and LEED professionals on their staff usually have greater specification opportunities than those who have nothing. |
On: Oct 18, 2018
Should a building product manufacturer develop a Health Product Declaration (HPD) or a Declare Label? Both product disclosures are excellent tools but differ in complexity, cost, and potential ROI. There are other excellent sustainability documentation tools available such as Cradle to Cradle, BIFMA, and ANSI resources to meet Materials Ingredients credits. However, our focus today is on HPDs and Declare Labels. |
On: Oct 16, 2018
The USGBC released their 3rd quarter 2018 LEED certification update. The key takeaways revolve around the achievement level, LEED rating version, and LEED rating system. Also, metrics include the country and state where certifications took place. There are several good signs for building product manufacturers which we’ll explore. |
On: Sep 7, 2018
The world of product manufacturing is a gamble and full of risks. So many variables outside of the manufacturers control can affect the outcome, and this has been the case since the beginning of product manufacturing. But with the speed that the AEC industry is changing, it’s easy to get overwhelmed or wonder if your product will become obsolete in the move toward sustainability, regenerative, and resilient architecture, design, and construction. |
On: Jul 15, 2018
When I tell people that I work in the sustainable build and design industry, they usually assume we’re all tree huggers collecting plastic bottles and straws and wearing hemp clothing. They don’t understand that sustainability goes much deeper than that. Its official focus is to avoid the depletion of natural resources, so ecological balance is maintained. In laymen’s terms, we just want to save the environment so that it’s still alive and healthy in a thousand years, right? |
On: Jun 28, 2018
Opportunities don’t happen, they are created. One of the ways to create opportunity is to say yes when your first reaction is to say no. Usually, we say no because we think we’re unqualified or won’t succeed, or we think it doesn’t apply to us. Maybe you have thought this regarding the LEED Green Associate accreditation. But you could be limiting your opportunities. |
On: May 18, 2018
The road to product specification can seem like you’re on the Star Trek Enterprise and that you just got transported to an unknown alien planet. There’s lot of steps to take to get specified. There are many strategies to implement. And it’s not all straight forward. It can be confusing! |
On: Mar 28, 2018
LEED v4.1 could be a game-changer for building product manufacturers in 2018. Our team recently met with Mahesh Ramanujam, CEO of the USGBC to learn more about LEED v4.1. The Texas Breakfast event in Austin provided attendees an opportunity to learn about the changes coming down the pipeline. |
On: Mar 28, 2018
LEED v4.1 could be a game-changer for building product manufacturers in 2018. Our team recently met with Mahesh Ramanujam, CEO of the USGBC to learn more about LEED v4.1. The Texas Breakfast event in Austin provided attendees an opportunity to learn about the changes coming down the pipeline. |
On: Mar 23, 2018
The LEED Rating system has been around for twenty years. In 2013, the latest rating system LEED v4 was launched. Yet, many building product reps are completely in the dark when it comes to LEED and the specification opportunities it offers. Most manufacturers have a LEED point person to handle LEED and sustainability related questions. |