April 18, 2007—The US Green Building Council (USGBC) has approved a third alternative in its LEED for Commercial Interiors EQ 4.5 low-emitting furniture credit.
Called Option C, it is based on the Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association (BIFMA) Furniture Emissions Standards for office furniture systems and seating products.
The BIFMA Furniture Emissions Standards, the result of more than 10 years of development and input from the US General Services Administration, the US Environmental Protection Agency, the State of California, Berkeley Analytical Associates, the National Research Council of Canada, and others, include the BIFMA M7.1-2005 test method and the BIFMA X7.1-2005 conformance standard. BIFMA neither certifies nor tests products.
Option C provides an alternative path for achieving the LEED-CI EQ 4.5 credit and opens testing and certification to multiple qualified labs and certification bodies throughout North America. It facilitates more accessible indoor air quality testing and validation and allows customers, architects, designers, and manufacturers to the most suitable option for the particular environment.
USGBC is working to transform the way buildings and communities are designed, built and operated. The LEED Green Building Rating System is the national benchmark for high performing green buildings. For more information, visit the USGBC Web site.
