NC-2009 MRc6: Rapidly Renewable Materials

  • NC Schools MRc6 Type3 Renewable Mat Diagram

  • What’s “rapidly renewable”?

    Pros and cons of rapidly renewable materials

    Rapidly renewable materials must have a harvest cycle of 10 years or fewer. This includes materials like bamboo, agrifibers, and others listed on the chart below. Materials for this credit can come from either plants or animals—but they have to be harvested without harming the animal. Wool is okay; leather isn’t. 

    “Big ticket” items are just the ticket

    This credit can be very easy to achieve—it only requires that a small percentage of the materials budget be spent on rapidly renewable materials. But it can become challenging unless you make a concerted effort to research and specify products with rapidly renewable content in mind. Don’t wait until materials are purchased to calculate your credit compliance—chances are, you won’t make it.

    Focusing on a few more expensive items with rapidly renewable content can be an easy way to make sure that you meet the budget threshold while minimizing the number of products you will need to track and document.

    Finish materials tell a “green story”

    Rapidly renewable materials can be an effective advertisement of your project’s commitment to “green”—many rapidly renewable materials make great interior finishes, including bamboo flooring and veneers, cork flooring, wool carpeting, agrifiber casework, and others. Projects interested in “telling the green story” through their choice of finish materials will often pursue these materials.

    There are affordable options

    While finish materials may come at a cost premium, there are plenty of other ways to use rapidly renewable materials less visibly and more affordably: strawbale construction, cotton batt insulation, cork carpet underlayment, and agrifiber boardA composite panel product derived from recovered agricultural waste fiber from sources including, but not limited to, cereal straw, sugarcane bagasse, sunflower husk, walnut shells, coconut husks, and agricultural prunings. The raw fibers are processed and mixed with resins to produce panel products with characteristics similar to those derived from wood fiber. in millwork, to name a few. (See table above.)

    Knauf’s EcoBatt fiberglass insulation uses the company’s Ecose binder, which is manufactured using rapidly renewable materials instead of petroleum derivatives. Photo – Knauf Insulation

    Suit the materials to the space

    It’s also important to select rapidly renewable materials that best suit the function of the space. For example, cork absorbs sound well, which would be useful in a classroom setting. On the other hand, there may be situations when it might be better to choose a recycled material instead—wool carpet in a high-traffic area, for example, would not be as durable as recycled-content commercial carpet and would wear out more quickly. 

    Double dip with MR credits

    Products with multiple environmental attributes—such as rapidly renewable and regionally produced—can contribute to multiple LEED credits.

    FAQs for MRc6

    How does this credit treat materials that come from animals such as wool or leather?

    To count as rapidly renewable for the purposes of this credit, the material must be harvested without causing the animal harm, and the animal must be able to continue to regenerate the material. A good example is wool from a sheep. See LEED InterpretationLEED Interpretations are official answers to technical inquiries about implementing LEED on a project. They help people understand how their projects can meet LEED requirements and provide clarity on existing options. LEED Interpretations are to be used by any project certifying under an applicable rating system. All project teams are required to adhere to all LEED Interpretations posted before their registration date. This also applies to other addenda. Adherence to rulings posted after a project registers is optional, but strongly encouraged. LEED Interpretations are published in a searchable database at usgbc.org. #2549 for details.

    What building components are typically purchased with renewable materials to reach the 2.5% credit threshold?

    Big-ticket items commonly used for this credit include flooring, insulation, millwork, wall coverings, and coatings. These products can have enough combined cost to reach the credit threshold, and renewable options are generally widely available. That said, there are many other products made with renewable materials that can contribute to this credit, so taking the time to explore the opportunities specific to your project can be worthwhile.

    A manufacturer is claiming that certain trees, e.g. balsa, acacia, mesquite, can be harvested within 10 years, and thus contribute to this credit. Is this acceptable?

    Yes. There is no official list of acceptable plants, but any biobasedGenerally, classification of products and materials derived from plant and animal sources as opposed to minerals. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has a program to promote the use of emerging biobased products that defines them more narrowly, to exclude products that already have established markets, such as food, animal feed, and lumber. material that otherwise meets the requirements should be accepted, if you can get formal documentation from your supplier that the life cycle is less than 10 years.

    Be careful, though—the caveat that USGBC provides in LEED Interpretation #10057, dated 5/9/2011, is that the plants must be "typically regenerated" within 10 years. Trees that could economically be harvested within 10 years, but for which that practice isn't typical, might not meet this standard.

Legend

  • Best Practices
  • Gotcha
  • Action Steps
  • Cost Tip

Schematic Design

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  • Plyboo in lobbyBamboo, like this FSC-certified Plyboo plywood from Smith & Fong, grows on a short harvest cycle that makes it eligible for this credit. Photo – Smith & Fong Consider using rapidly renewable materials early in the process, as it may drive the project’s aesthetics or inform specific building practices. Typical rapidly renewable materials include bamboo, cork, cotton, wheat, agrifiber, straw, wool, linseed-based linoleum, and natural rubber. (See Bird’s Eye View for a summary of how these materials are used.)

  • You won’t earn this credit by accident. You’ll have to make a concerted effort to use enough rapidly renewable materials to meet the credit thresholds. 

  • Using rapidly renewable finish materials is easily identified by occupants and can help with “telling the story” of your green building.

  • If you decide to go after this credit, it is usually attainable, as it only requires a small percentage of your budget. Rapidly renewable finish materials may have a slightly higher cost than their conventional counterparts, however.

  • Masonite's straw-core Emerald doors. Photo – Masonite It may be easier and more cost-effective to use rapidly renewable materials that are not finish materials—for instance, strawbale construction, cotton batt insulation, or composite agrifiber wood for millwork cores.

Design Development

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  • Begin by creating a baseline materials budget. This is the total amount of money that will be spent on building materials. Use the Materials Calculator from the Documentation Toolkit to compile the baseline material list in a way that facilitates adding information on environmental attributes.

  • Your material budget assumptions and material costs should be consistent across MRc3, MRc4, MRc5, MRc6, and MRc7. The LEED Online credit form helps ensure this automatically. 

  • Include in your new wood materials baseline budget the material cost (excluding labor) of all new wood items that apply under CSI Master Spec 2004 Format Divisions 3–10, 31.60 Foundations, 32.10 Paving, 32.30 Site Improvements, and 32.90 Planting. Division 12 Furniture is optional. Mechanical, electrical, plumbing and equipment costs are excluded. (See Resources for Master Spec information.) 

  • Adding Division 12 Furniture to your baseline materials budget for this credit is optional, but must be applied consistently across MRc3, MRc4, MRc5, MRc6, and MRc7. Analyze the baseline material budget to see if adding Division 12 furniture works to the project’s advantage. Generally, if the furniture helps contribute to the above MR credits it is in a project’s interest to take credit for it—however, it may help with some while making others more difficult.

  • Choose one of two options in creating a baseline budget—the default budget, or the actual budget (excluding labor). The default budget method gives you a baseline materials budget as 45% of your total budget, while the actual budget gives you a baseline based on what you actually spend.

  • A default budget is useful if you don’t want to break out the cost of materials and labor separately. You can take the total cost (material plus labor) of all items in the applicable CSI divisions and assume that cost of materials is 45% and labor cost is 55%.

  • The default budget is less time-consuming because the contractor does not have to break out the material and labor costs of items that are not being tracked for LEED credits, allowing the project to focus on tracking only the materials that contribute to LEED credits. You can take the total cost (material plus labor) of all items in the applicable CSI divisions and assume that cost of materials is 45% and labor cost is 55%. However, this option may put the project at a disadvantage in terms of getting full credit for the actual value of materials. 

  • You can alternatively use the actual materials budget (excluding labor) of all materials purchased in the applicable CSI categories.  

  • How do you decide whether to use the actual material budget or the default budget as your baseline? The lower you can get the baseline, the easier it is to purchase enough regional material to reach the credit threshold. For example, a project that is renovating an existing building will have low material costs and high labor costs. It might be better for this project to use the actual budget as the 45% default may bring the baseline too high.

  • Icynene offers a formulation of its foam insulation with some biobased content. Photo – IcyneneHow many rapidly renewable materials do you need to incorporate into your project? Look at the baseline material budget. Determine how much you want to spend on rapidly renewable materials to get the desired LEED point (see point thresholds in the Credit Language). Go through the project’s preliminary budget and identify what items could be purchased that are rapidly renewable. Do these items add up to the amount needed to get the desired LEED points?

  • Include a cushion in case of changes in design and purchasing. For example, if you are counting on points for using 2.5% rapidly renewable materials, plan for 5% of your budget to be spent on rapidly renewable materials to avoid coming up short.

  • Integrating rapidly renewable materials into the design and specs early on can help prevent costly change orders during construction 

  • Use your estimated budget as a guide throughout the project. Many projects fail to earn this credit because they wait until all the materials have been purchased before calculating whether there are enough rapidly renewable materials to gain the LEED credit. 

  • Focus on a few expensive items that may Ecotextiles uses Oeko-Tex certified linen for the curtains and the near pillow, while the far pillow and window seat are 100% field-retted, long-fiber hemp. Photo – Ecotextilesrepresent enough value to earn the credit. This approach allows you to Iimit the overall number of items you need to track and document, reducing contractor headaches. If big-ticket items are not enough, target medium-priced items next, until you reach your goal.

  • A single product or material can contribute to multiple credits. For example, an agrifiber-core door made within 500 miles contributes to MRc6 as well as MRc5. Focusing on products and materials with multiple environmental attributes also can limit the overall number of items that must be tracked. 

  • Research products and look at product cut sheets and manufacturing data to see if a product contains rapidly renewable material content.

  • Assemblies

  • When a single product is made of multiple materials that are a combination of rapidly renewable and nonrenewable materials, use the following special considerations.

  • The cost value for the LEED calculation is determined by weight as a percentage of the total. For example, if a $100 piece of casework is 20% by weight rapidly renewable agrifiber, and 80% by weight marble countertop, only $20 (the 20% that the renewable agrifiber represents) would contribute toward earning MRc6.

  • Request that manufacturers provide assembly information broken down by weight.

  • The actual budget method can be more time-consuming for the contractor because it requires tracking the actual costs of all materials purchased, even those in the applicable CSI divisions that do not necessarily contribute to LEED credits.

  • Include in your new wood materials baseline budget the material cost (excluding labor) of all new wood items that apply under CSI Master Spec 1995 Format Divisions 2–10. Division 12 Furniture is optional. Mechanical, electrical, plumbing and equipment costs are excluded. (See Resources for Master Spec information.)

Construction Documents

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  • Revisit your baseline materials budget as the design evolves to make sure the numbers remain accurate and that you remain on track to achieve your goal for the credit.

  • Research specific products and incorporate rapidly renewable product requirements into individual construction specifications.

  • For guidance and sample specification language for incorporating LEED specifications into construction documents, see MasterSpec, or the Whole Building Design Guide. (See Resources.)

  • Incorporating the LEED requirements directly into the drawings as well as into the specs is a good way to remind the contractor and subcontractors of the requirements. 

  • Analyze the initial budget to know what materials the project can target for this credit, and incorporate the language of the LEED requirements accordingly into construction specs for the specific materials. The contractor will appreciate not having to fill out forms for materials that are not rapidly renewable or that have so little cost value that it is a waste of time. 

  • Whenever possible, designate in the construction specifications that contractors use specific manufacturers that you have verified as producers of rapidly renewable items. This will help save research time for the contractors.

  • Include submittal requirements within each targeted construction spec section and add general requirements to the Division 1 bid package. Include a copy of any submittal documents that the contractor may need to fill out.

Construction

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  • Preparation Before Construction Begins

  • The general contractor (GC) should be oriented to all LEED construction-related issues, such as IAQ management, low-emitting materials, environmental materials tracking tools, and construction waste management. 

  • LEED documentation and materials tracking are usually the GC’s responsibility even though specific materials selection may have been already determined by the architect or designer.

  • The GC should hold an orientation meeting with the subcontractors to review the LEED responsibilities related specifically to their trades. This exercise helps to build trust and is crucial for obtaining buy-in from all participants in the process.

  • Give the GC and subcontractors the following tools to help them track materials data for all MR and IEQ credits. (See the Documentation Toolkit for access.)

    • Materials Calculator:  This is a master tracking spreadsheet that the GC can use internally to compile product information received from the subcontractors. The spreadsheet tracks LEED values across multiple LEED MR and IEQ credits.
    • Environmental Materials Reporting Form: This is a material tracking form that helps subcontractors record the environmental values for products they purchase. This can be distributed to each trade subcontractor and submitted to the GC for filing. 
    • Low-Emitting Materials Reporting Form: This is a VOC tracking sheet that helps subcontractors record the low-emitting qualities of the products they purchase and can be distributed to each trade subcontractor and submitted to the GC for filing.
    • Low-Emitting Material Limits: These tables, found with each credit here on LEEDuser, summarize the maximum VOC limits for different types of adhesives, sealants, paints, coatings, composite wood, and flooring products. When subcontractors search for low-emitting products, they should consult these charts.

  • Enabling coordination and communication among the GC, subcontractors and design team early in the process can minimize scheduling delays and pushback from subcontractors.

  • Research the availability of additional rapidly renewable materials before construction begins to ensure that the project earns this credit. If product decisions are made after construction begins, there may be less time to review data sheets carefully and much greater risk of using a noncompliant product.

  • During Construction

  • The contractor starts gathering and environmental data and cut sheets from subcontractors for approval. 

  • The GC functions as the overall quality assurance provider for this credit. Responsibilities include conducting weekly reviews of subcontractor product submittals and tracking forms.

  • Review subcontractor product suggestions ahead of time to avoid the purchase of inappropriate materials and eliminate the need for costly change orders.  

  • Streamline documentation and research by taking data gathered from subcontractors via the Environmental Materials Reporting Form and transfer it into a master spreadsheet for all the items being tracked for each product across MR and IEQ credits. For example, you may need to ask the millworker for rapidly renewable information for MRc6, certified wood information for MRc7, and information about adhesives installed on site for IEQc4.1. If one spreadsheet collects all the data, it can streamline your documentation, associated research, and help with quality control. Use the Materials Calculator spreadsheet in the Documentation Toolkit.

  • A master spreadsheet facilitates information collection for subcontractors, giving them a road map of exactly what types of information to collect for each product.  

  • Assign a responsible party to input the subcontractors’ tracking forms into the Materials Calculator (see Documentation Toolkit). A LEED consultant or an administrative assistant in the GC’s office may be the best choice for this role.

  • Breaking out specific materials costs (excluding labor) for construction materials that contribute to LEED credits is a requirement for LEED MR credits. Some subcontractors prefer not to do this because there are always hidden markups in the materials that subcontractors purchase at wholesale. However, you can simply include the product markup when breaking out a product’s material cost from installation and labor costs.

  • Transfer all the data collected in the Materials Calculator spreadsheet (see Documentation Toolkit) to the LEED Online form and upload the product cut sheets. 

  • Only a random 20% sampling of product cut sheets need to be uploaded to LEED Online to document this credit.

Operations & Maintenance

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  • Keep a list of sustainable materials used on the project so that operations staff can use these products for future renovations.

  • Develop rapidly renewable procurement recommendations and incorporate the recommendations into a purchasing policy. This will contribute to EBOM MRp1: Sustainable Purchasing Policy.  

  • USGBC

    Excerpted from LEED 2009 for New Construction and Major Renovations

    COPYRIGHT © 2009 BY THE U.S. GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

    MR Credit 6: Rapidly renewable materials

    1 Point

    Intent

    To reduce the use and depletion of finite raw materials and long-cycle renewable materials by replacing them with rapidly renewableTerm describing a natural material that is grown and harvested on a relatively short-rotation cycle (defined by the LEED rating system to be ten years or less). materials.

    Requirements

    Use rapidly renewableTerm describing a natural material that is grown and harvested on a relatively short-rotation cycle (defined by the LEED rating system to be ten years or less). building materials and products for 2.5% of the total value of all building materials and products used in the project, based on cost. Rapidly renewable building materials and products are made from agricultural products that are typically harvested within a 10-year or shorter cycle.

    Potential Technologies & Strategies

    Establish a project goal for rapidly renewableTerm describing a natural material that is grown and harvested on a relatively short-rotation cycle (defined by the LEED rating system to be ten years or less). materials, and identify products and suppliers that can support achievement of this goal. Consider materials such as bamboo, wool, cotton insulation, agrifiber, linoleum, wheatboard, strawboard and cork. During construction, ensure that the specified renewable materials are installed.

Articles

Bamboo in Construction: Is the Grass Always Greener?

A BuildingGreen.com article that examines the pros and cons of using bamboo as a building material.

Cork Flooring

A BuildingGreen.com product review of cork flooring, which includes information on cork tree management, harvest, processing, and building applications.

Cotton Insulation is Back!

BuildingGreen.com covers cotton insulation basics in this brief news article.

Bamboo Flooring

This BuildingGreen.com article discusses the virtues, manufacture, and availability of bamboo flooring.

Straw: The Next Great Building Material?

A BuildingGreen.com feature that offers an in-depth look at strawbale construction.

Organizations

Whole Building Design Guide (WBDG) — Federal Green Construction Guide for Specifiers

Support on incorporating LEED requirements into specifications. 

Materials Calculator

Teams can use this tool to track all materials across various MR and IEQ credits. It helps teams develop a roadmap of what information needs to be tracked for different products. It can also be used early on to create the baseline budget and ensure the products that are being used will apply to the various credit thresholds.

Environmental Materials Reporting Form

This is a materials tracking form that helps subcontractors record the environmental values of products they purchase. This can be distributed to each trade subcontractor and submitted to the GC for filing.

Rapidly Renewable Assembly Calculator

Use this calculator to help teams determine how much of the product cost can count towards the calculation if the product is an assembly of multiple materials.

Product Cut Sheets

Look to product cut sheets to provide information on rapidly renewableTerm describing a natural material that is grown and harvested on a relatively short-rotation cycle (defined by the LEED rating system to be ten years or less). content. Some information may be incomplete and you will need to follow up with requests for more information, as shown here.

Letter to Contractor for MR and IEQ Credits

Use a letter like this sample to orient the contractor to their responsibilities for all MR and IEQ credits. This letter is an introduction that can be customized for the credits your project is pursuing.

Low-Emitting Materials Reporting Form

This is a VOC tracking sheet that helps subcontractors record the low-emitting qualities of the products they purchase and can be distributed to each trade subcontractor and submitted to the GC for filing. Use it specifically for earning low-emitting materials credits, but in conjunction with documentation for MR credits.

LEED Online Forms: NC-2009 MR

The following links take you to the public, informational versions of the dynamic LEED Online forms for each NC-2009 MR credit. You'll need to fill out the live versions of these forms on LEED Online for each credit you hope to earn.

Version 4 forms (newest):

Version 3 forms:

These links are posted by LEEDuser with USGBC's permission. USGBC has certain usage restrictions for these forms; for more information, visit LEED Online and click "Sample Forms Download."

Construction Submittal

HardhatDocumentation for this credit is part of the Construction Phase submittal.

41 Comments

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Lavanya Veerappa Ms LEAD Consultancy & Engineering services
Feb 06 2013
Guest
66 Thumbs Up

Pine tree- Rapidly renewable

Hi,

One of our project has used Pine trees for manufacturing office furnitures. Can we consider pine tree as a rapidly renewableTerm describing a natural material that is grown and harvested on a relatively short-rotation cycle (defined by the LEED rating system to be ten years or less). material ?

Please suggest

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Tristan Roberts LEED AP BD+C, Editorial Director – LEEDuser, BuildingGreen, Inc. Feb 06 2013 LEEDuser Moderator

Lavanya, trees are not considered rapidly renewableTerm describing a natural material that is grown and harvested on a relatively short-rotation cycle (defined by the LEED rating system to be ten years or less)., as they have a greater than 10-year life cycle.

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Lavanya Veerappa Ms, LEAD Consultancy & Engineering services Feb 06 2013 Guest 66 Thumbs Up

Thanks Tristan !

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Marian Keeler Senior Associate Thornton Tomasetti / Simon & Associates
Jan 18 2013
LEEDuser Member
2359 Thumbs Up

Oyster Shells?

Hello All -
I had what is no doubt one of the oddest, but at the same time intriguing, questions ever asked me by a contractor today. Her question: Can the mother-of-pearl / oyster shells components in a terrazzo floor be considered or counted toward the rapidly renewableTerm describing a natural material that is grown and harvested on a relatively short-rotation cycle (defined by the LEED rating system to be ten years or less). credit? We're researching the typical life cycle of an oyster, but provided we can find a set of strong parameters--i.e., farmed vs. wild--what do you think? Do formerly live molluscs qualify? Any and all witty responses welcomed.

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Tristan Roberts LEED AP BD+C, Editorial Director – LEEDuser, BuildingGreen, Inc. Jan 18 2013 LEEDuser Moderator

Tell your contractor to stop playing shell games!

Ha ha... you asked for it. Definitely a good question! I would consider this basically an animal-derived question and I would refer you to the discussion on that topic earlier on this forum. I'm afaid I don't have a simple answer, but hey, at least the world is your oyster!

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Marian Keeler Senior Associate, Thornton Tomasetti / Simon & Associates Feb 01 2013 LEEDuser Member 2359 Thumbs Up

That's a great answer, Tristan--thank you!

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Mike Woodfall National Account Manager Bunge North America
Jul 06 2012
Guest
18 Thumbs Up

Rapidly Renewable Lubricants

How does a supplier of elevator hydraulic fluids document and communicate the renewable nature of our products to contractors interested in NC2009 MRc6 credits? Our products are produced from vegetable oils, and produced in the United States. What are the requirements for documentation?

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Tristan Roberts LEED AP BD+C, Editorial Director – LEEDuser, BuildingGreen, Inc. Jul 06 2012 LEEDuser Moderator

Mike, usually projects need a cut sheet, manufacturer letter, or MSDS1. Material safety data sheets (MSDS) are detailed, written instructions documenting a method to achieve uniformity of performance. 2. A report that manufacturers of most products are required to make available to installers and purchasers, informing them of product information on chemicals, chemical compounds, and chemical mixtures, the existence of potentially hazardous ingredients, and providing instructions for the safe handling, storage, and disposal of products, so you could provide any of those. Certification or third-party verification is not required at this point.

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Diaa Madkour Architect Jul 12 2012 Guest 279 Thumbs Up

Mike,
Make sure that this item lies within the approved divisions specified in the reference guide for this credit.

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Charles Fritzemeier Architect Tetra Tech Architecture and Engineering, Inc.
Apr 13 2012
LEEDuser Member
45 Thumbs Up

Bio-based building materials - foam for use under concrete

I have a project for which we are pursuing Platinum and have an opportunity to use a bio-based material (12"+/-) as a filler under pan deck and concrete. Half of this building is raised access floor and all of the floor slab has been poured at the -14" level. I am looking for a material to fill in the non-raised access floor areas that is bio-based. It is a sealed area but concrete surrounded, thus moisture with related decay and odor are a concern. Is there a bio-based foam product that would work? Or something similar?

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Tristan Roberts LEED AP BD+C, Editorial Director – LEEDuser, BuildingGreen, Inc. Apr 23 2012 LEEDuser Moderator

Charles, we have an exhaustive list of materials qualifying for this credit, including biobasedGenerally, classification of products and materials derived from plant and animal sources as opposed to minerals. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has a program to promote the use of emerging biobased products that defines them more narrowly, to exclude products that already have established markets, such as food, animal feed, and lumber. foam insulation, in GreenSpec. You can see a list of products in the GreenSpec Products block in the right column of this page.

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Fernanda Cortes Arquitecto IDIEM
Apr 12 2012
Guest
10 Thumbs Up

Eggshell

If a paint contains in its composition grams of mashed eggshell, is this component considered a rapidly renewableTerm describing a natural material that is grown and harvested on a relatively short-rotation cycle (defined by the LEED rating system to be ten years or less). content ?

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Nadav Malin USGBC LEED Faculty, President, BuildingGreen, Inc. Apr 12 2012 LEEDuser Moderator

Yes, I see no reason why that wouldn't be allowable as rapidly renewableTerm describing a natural material that is grown and harvested on a relatively short-rotation cycle (defined by the LEED rating system to be ten years or less). content in the paint. 

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Jean Marais b.i.g. Bechtold DesignBuilder Expert
Sep 22 2011
LEEDuser Member
5230 Thumbs Up

Typical items types for typical office

In your experience, which items must be included as rapidly renewableTerm describing a natural material that is grown and harvested on a relatively short-rotation cycle (defined by the LEED rating system to be ten years or less). to achieve 2% by cost.
Is it, for example, typical to say
1) Floor covering and,
2) Ceiling panels

I am struggling to see how the mass weighted cost of the floor covering would make up 2.5% of the total building costs (excluding mechanical & electrical systems).

When thinking big ticket items, I think big cost items, i.e. windows, concrete...Does anyone have a rule of thumb recipe for success?

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Tristan Roberts LEED AP BD+C, Editorial Director – LEEDuser, BuildingGreen, Inc. Nov 20 2011 LEEDuser Moderator

Jean, it is relatively tough to achieve this credit due to the issue you're encountering. I think  that a winning formula likely includes flooring, perhaps insulation, perhaps wall covering, some sealantsA sealant has adhesive properties and is formulated primarily to fill, seal, or waterproof gaps or joints between 2 surfaces. Sealants include sealant primers and caulks. (SCAQMD Rule 1168. )Sealants are used on wood, fabric, paper, corrugated paperboard, plastic foam and other materials with tiny openings, often microscopic, that may absorb or discharge gas or fluid. or coatings, perhaps casework. There is a long list of qualifying products in the sidebar to the right, under GreenSpec products.

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Tanja Arnesson Skanska Sweden AB
Sep 22 2011
LEEDuser Member
355 Thumbs Up

Bio-based products

Do linseed oil and linseed oil paint count to rapidly renewableTerm describing a natural material that is grown and harvested on a relatively short-rotation cycle (defined by the LEED rating system to be ten years or less). products?

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Nadav Malin USGBC LEED Faculty, President, BuildingGreen, Inc. Nov 09 2011 LEEDuser Moderator

Tanja, the linseed oil content in those products would count as rapidly renewableTerm describing a natural material that is grown and harvested on a relatively short-rotation cycle (defined by the LEED rating system to be ten years or less)., as they are derived from the flax plant, which is harvested annually.

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Carlos Alberto Hoyos Soto Architect LEED AP BD+C, PMP Andes
Mar 24 2011
Guest
106 Thumbs Up

Guadua

I want to know if anyone has use guadua, and if it is considered as rapidly renewableTerm describing a natural material that is grown and harvested on a relatively short-rotation cycle (defined by the LEED rating system to be ten years or less). material, thanks.

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Tristan Roberts LEED AP BD+C, Editorial Director – LEEDuser, BuildingGreen, Inc. Mar 24 2011 LEEDuser Moderator

Carlos, I hadn't heard of guadua, and looked it up. It seems to be a type of bamboo? It probably qualifies for this credit, as long as it has harvesting cycle if less than 10 years. Bamboo is considered "rapidly renewableTerm describing a natural material that is grown and harvested on a relatively short-rotation cycle (defined by the LEED rating system to be ten years or less)." and counts for this credit.

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Carolina Vergnano LEED AP Concremat
Feb 17 2011
LEEDuser Member
1106 Thumbs Up

Bamboo

We know that bamboo can be conted in the rapidly renewableTerm describing a natural material that is grown and harvested on a relatively short-rotation cycle (defined by the LEED rating system to be ten years or less). materials right? But if the bamboo is well handled and on the standards it might be certified by FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts., or bamboo cannot be considered as wood? So, my doubt is the following: Could I consider bamboo in the MRc7 - certified woodWood from a source that has been determined, through a certification process, to meet stated ecological and other criteria. There are numerous forest certification programs in general use based on several standards, but only the Forest Stewardship Council's standards, which include requirements that the wood be tracked through its chain-of-custody, can be used to qualify wood for a point in the LEED Rating System.?

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Tristan Roberts LEED AP BD+C, Editorial Director – LEEDuser, BuildingGreen, Inc. Feb 17 2011 LEEDuser Moderator

Fabiano, you FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts.-certified bamboo can count toward MRc7. We go into some detail on this on the MRc7 page.

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Lauren Glasscock Sr. Sustainability Professional DNV KEMA Energy & Sustainability
Aug 26 2010
LEEDuser Expert
8663 Thumbs Up

Animal based products

Our rubber base lists stearic acid along with soybean oil as rapidly renewableTerm describing a natural material that is grown and harvested on a relatively short-rotation cycle (defined by the LEED rating system to be ten years or less).. Stearic acid is essentially animal fat. Are animal based products included under rapidly renewable? I don't believe that the animals are actually harmed in the process but am not certain.

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Tristan Roberts LEED AP BD+C, Editorial Director – LEEDuser, BuildingGreen, Inc. Aug 29 2010 LEEDuser Moderator

A couple thoughts:

1) The credit language specifies "plants."

2) Animals have to be killed to extract their fat. Stearic acid is a byproduct of beef production.

3) I recall a rule of thumb that wool is okay under MRc6 since the animal is theoretically not killed (although in practice it's likely to be raised for both meat and wool), while leather, for example, is excluded due to the need for killing. However, I am not sure where I picked up that rule and if it really exists. Anyone have input?

Anyway, I would say that you're unlikely to be able to count the stearic acid here.

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Lauren Glasscock Sr. Sustainability Professional, DNV KEMA Energy & Sustainability Aug 30 2010 LEEDuser Expert 8663 Thumbs Up

Hey Tristan,

I agree with your first thought, except if you take a look at the definition of Rapidly RenewableTerm describing a natural material that is grown and harvested on a relatively short-rotation cycle (defined by the LEED rating system to be ten years or less). in the Reference Guide it states the following:
"Rapidly Renewable materials are consdiered to be an agricultural product, both fiber and animal, that takes 10 years or less to grow or raise, and to harvest in an ongoing sustainable fashion."
If you read that explanation I think it's pretty clear that animal based products could fall within the requirement, especially if we could prove that the animal wasn't harmed in the process (though that doesn't appear to be written into the requirements).

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Anne Nicklin Executive Director, Building Materials Reuse Association Aug 30 2010 Guest 1268 Thumbs Up

Hi Lauren,

You are definitely right that animal materials can be included in the calculations for MRc6, though it is without question that the animal cannot be killed during the harvesting process. There is a good CIRCredit Interpretation Ruling. Used by design team members experiencing difficulties in the application of a LEED prerequisite or credit to a project. Typically, difficulties arise when specific issues are not directly addressed by LEED information/guide ruling from 4/17/2009 (on leather) that sheds a bit of light on the USGBC's thinking "Although leather is an animal product, it is not deemed to be rapidly renewableTerm describing a natural material that is grown and harvested on a relatively short-rotation cycle (defined by the LEED rating system to be ten years or less). as the leather material or hide may not be collected until after the death of the animal. An example an acceptable renewable animal source would be sheep’s fleece. The fleece can be sheered from the animal without presenting harm to it nor does it prevent the animal from regenerating the material."
If sounds like stearic acid would count only if it could be harvested in such a way that the animal could regenerate that fat on a regular basis.
Best- Anne

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Lauren Glasscock Sr. Sustainability Professional, DNV KEMA Energy & Sustainability Aug 30 2010 LEEDuser Expert 8663 Thumbs Up

Thanks Anne!

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Clint Newton Project Manager, Spillman Farmer Architects Jan 05 2011 LEEDuser Member 507 Thumbs Up

I do not find the objection to leather to be an effective argument as it is essentially a byproduct of the beef industry. The animal is not killed during the harvesting of the leather, it is killed during the harvesting of the meat. I know that for some this is hardly a noteworthy distinction and I respect the sensibilities of those who have objection to our harvesting of animals. However, a product such as leather would be landfill if it was not harvested as a material. If we were discussing the difference between fur and leather I can certainley appreciate that there is no commercially viable trade for the meat of most fur bearing animals and so the exclusion makes sence for fur. But leather is a byproduct and as so should be accepted otherwise this becomes a moral argument between Vegitarians and Carnivores which really is not what this is all about.
That really is an argument for a different forum.

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Tristan Roberts LEED AP BD+C, Editorial Director – LEEDuser, BuildingGreen, Inc. Jan 07 2011 LEEDuser Moderator

Clint, have you looked at how MRc6 is changing to a biobasedGenerally, classification of products and materials derived from plant and animal sources as opposed to minerals. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has a program to promote the use of emerging biobased products that defines them more narrowly, to exclude products that already have established markets, such as food, animal feed, and lumber. credit in LEED 2012? I hadn't looked at this in terms of leather, etc., but I wonder if they would be allowed.

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Elliot Powers LEED AP BD+C
May 07 2010
Guest
282 Thumbs Up

Domestically Manufactured Rapidly Renewables

Anyone out there know of domestic manufacturers of rapidly renewableTerm describing a natural material that is grown and harvested on a relatively short-rotation cycle (defined by the LEED rating system to be ten years or less). materials or products? The federal government has "Buy American" clauses in their construction contracts which prevent us from using goods from outside the U.S.

Thanks,
Elliot

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Tristan Roberts LEED AP BD+C, Editorial Director – LEEDuser, BuildingGreen, Inc. May 07 2010 LEEDuser Moderator

Elliot, have you checked out the "GreenSpec Products" sidebar to the right?  There are a ton of ideas there, and although you need a BuildingGreen Suite membership to view the results when you click through, it's a worthwhile resource.

While items like bamboo, linoleum, and wool are likely to be made overseas, what about items like cotton (insulation), agrifiber (straw-core doors, straw panels), or soy-based products? While I can't say for sure, any of these products seem likely to have domestic sources.

Anyone else? And please keep us posted on what you learn.

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Mike Miller Director of Environmental Stewardship, Eggers Industries Jun 04 2010 LEEDuser Member 195 Thumbs Up

Agrifiber based flush doors, raised panel doors and door jambs are available for commercial projects. The cores are made with wheat straw based particlboard with no added urea-formaldehyde1. Formaldehyde is a naturally occurring VOC found in small amounts in animals and plants but is carcinogenic and an irritant to most people when present in high concentrations, causing headaches, dizziness, mental impairment, and other symptoms. When present in the air at levels above 0.1 ppm, it can cause watery eyes; burning sensations in the eyes, nose, and throat; nausea; coughing; chest tightness; wheezing; skin rashes; and asthmatic and allergic reactions. 2. A known carcinogen with no known safe exposure level. Formaldehyde occurs naturally, but appears in unnaturally high concentra­tions in many buildings because it is an ingredient in binders used in many building materials and furnishings. resins. The doors are manufactured by several commercial door companies. The products are usually in the 75% percent compliant material range.

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Mike Woodfall National Account Manager, Bunge North America Jul 06 2012 Guest 18 Thumbs Up

You could also take a look at the USDA's Biopreferred Program, http://www.biopreferred.gov/

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Lisa Marshall Sustainability Manager DNV KEMA Energy & Sustainability
Apr 05 2010
Guest
476 Thumbs Up

Green roof and landscaping

A collegue of mine mentioned that a green roof and landscaping can be counted toward this credit. True/False?

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Nadav Malin USGBC LEED Faculty, President, BuildingGreen, Inc. Apr 05 2010 LEEDuser Moderator

That's a new one on me. I would be very surprised if live plants were allowed to count toward this credit. Doesn't mean that someone hasn't snuck them through at some point, but I wouldn't count on it, myself.

Anyone have different info?

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Lisa Marshall Sustainability Manager, DNV KEMA Energy & Sustainability Apr 06 2010 Guest 476 Thumbs Up

How can I find out for sure, I need to be able to advise my client. I have gotten feedback from projects that have been awarded based on using live plants and green roofing and an individual who does LEED reviews also agree's green roof/landscaping counts, but I can't advise based on this alone.

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Seema Pandya Senior Sustainability Manager, YR&G sustainability Apr 07 2010 LEEDuser Expert 2202 Thumbs Up

This seems like an interesting issue. In the past LEED versions, Division 32 90-Plantings was not included in the MR credits. However, 2009 has allowed Division 32 90. If projects received credit for past versions of LEED, it might have just been lucky with a reviewer. I also wouldn't count plants as a given. A CIRCredit Interpretation Ruling. Used by design team members experiencing difficulties in the application of a LEED prerequisite or credit to a project. Typically, difficulties arise when specific issues are not directly addressed by LEED information/guide might be in order if they want a definite answer. While our firm has not tried to get credit for plants directly in the past, vegetative roofing is covered under Division 9, and we have received credit for the recycled content of the roof planting trays for a green roof.

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Mitch Gascoyne Manager, Sustaianable Design Services, Halcrow Yolles Feb 02 2011 LEEDuser Member 90 Thumbs Up

Lisa, did you ever get any closure on your vegitative roof question? My first throught is that it wouldnt apply to this credit but when I look at the reference guide it seems to meet all of the requiremetns: the seedum is harvested in less than 10 years, roofing is within division 2-10, and the vegitative roof is a building system. The fact that its still alive doesnt meant that it isnt part of the building. Im a bit conflicted...

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Rebecca Griffith Mar 30 2012 LEEDuser Member 248 Thumbs Up

I would be very interested if vegetative roofs apply to this credit as well. I was about to ask the exact same question when I stumbled across this thread.

I was prompted to ask because I recently attended a lunch by a green roof company and in their LEED benefits section of their brochure they are claiming that their product (plants) can count towards rapidly renewableTerm describing a natural material that is grown and harvested on a relatively short-rotation cycle (defined by the LEED rating system to be ten years or less). materials. They say that, for the most part, their plants are grown and repeatedly harvested like bamboo. This could have a huge impact on several of our projects that have large areas of green roof, where we were not previously pursuing this credit due to lack of rapidly renewable materials.

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Yusuf Turab Managing Director, Y T Enterprises Apr 02 2012 Guest 141 Thumbs Up

It sounds absurd that one could claim points for plants but strangely I cannot think of a reason why. I do not see why this argument needs to be restricted to green roof alone. Why not include all plants, shrubs and turf purchased for ground landscaping?

My logic is plants are not a building material. Plants simply add to the natural topography or replace the lost topography in case of green roofs. Plants are well accounted for in the site and water credits

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Kathryn West LEED AP O+M, Guiding Principles Compliance Professional, Energy Ace Feb 07 2013 LEEDuser Member 35 Thumbs Up

not allowing leather because the animal is killed? I've been a vegetarian for 9 years but I think that is odd :) Not all leather comes from meat-producing cows either though. The reference guide states that rapidly renewableTerm describing a natural material that is grown and harvested on a relatively short-rotation cycle (defined by the LEED rating system to be ten years or less). materials "are agricultural products, both fiber and animal, that take 10 years or less to grow or raise and can be harvested in a sustainable fashion." So if your leather comes from an animal that is raised in a sustainable fashion I would conisder it to meet the intent and definitions within this credit. The question then would be how to explain that the animals were raised "sustainably."

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Kathryn West LEED AP O+M, Guiding Principles Compliance Professional, Energy Ace Feb 07 2013 LEEDuser Member 35 Thumbs Up

per LEED InterpretationLEED Interpretations are official answers to technical inquiries about implementing LEED on a project. They help people understand how their projects can meet LEED requirements and provide clarity on existing options. LEED Interpretations are to be used by any project certifying under an applicable rating system. All project teams are required to adhere to all LEED Interpretations posted before their registration date. This also applies to other addenda. Adherence to rulings posted after a project registers is optional, but strongly encouraged. LEED Interpretations are published in a searchable database at usgbc.org. #2549 I am going to personally start referring to this credit as the "Cruelty-Free Rapidly RenewableTerm describing a natural material that is grown and harvested on a relatively short-rotation cycle (defined by the LEED rating system to be ten years or less). Materials Credit."

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