November 19, 2008—The International Code Council Evaluation Service (ICC-ES) has introduced a program to verify the “greenness” or sustainability of building products. The Sustainable Attributes Verification and Evaluation (SAVE) program provides independent confirmation that evaluated building products are sustainable and may qualify for points under major green rating systems.
A SAVE evaluation involves both inspection of the manufacturer’s production process and reviews of independent product testing, where required. Manufacturers that successfully complete the evaluation process receive a Verification of Attributes Report (VAR) in one or more of nine key categories: recycled content (postconsumer/preconsumer), regional materials, bio-based materials, certified wood products, solar reflectance index and thermal emittance of roofing materials, volatile organic compound content and emissions (adhesives and sealants), volatile organic compound content and emissions (paints and coatings), urea formaldehyde resin content in composite wood products, or volatile organic compound content and emissions of floor coverings.
“SAVE brings great benefit to manufacturers, specifiers, designers, and code officials because it’s designed to be useable under the three major green rating systems: the new National Green Building Standard, LEED, and Green Globes,” said Steve Thorsell, ICC-ES Director of Special Projects. “A VAR (Verification of Attributes Report) from ICC-ES gives manufacturers proof they can show their customers that the sustainability of their product is indeed verified, a significant advantage in an increasingly competitive marketplace. Code officials, designers, and specifiers know to look for products evaluated under SAVE.”
ICC-ES will maintain a list of products successfully evaluated under the SAVE program in a Directory of Reports.
