Are you a product manufacturer being asked by a client to show how your product is compliant with the LEED Certification requirements? If so, you may be wondering how you can quickly LEED certify a product. However, this is not what is being asked of you.

The U.S. Green Building Council (who created the LEED green building standards) does not certify or endorse products. Let me say that again. LEED Certification for products does not exist.

Here’s an example of false LEED product advertising:

LEED Certification for Products Does Not Officially Exist

What’s happening is that project teams working on LEED building projects are required to use particular types of products that align with the environmentally conscious LEED standards. But the products themselves are not “LEED Certified.”

Products can only be certified or recognized by other green industry programs or labels, such as the popular Energy Star label.

There is a lot of confusion about how to get LEED Certification for products. Here is an overview of the steps that should be taken to answer your clients’ questions:

Step 1:  Learn about the LEED credits & how your product may satisfy requirements

Step 2:  Apply for a green product label that is approved by the LEED standards

How Your Product Aligns with LEED

The best route for product manufacturers to join the LEED industry is to fully commit to learning the LEED standards. Unfortunately it’s not as simple as a straightforward checklist with hard requirements you must meet. There are varying levels of compliance that your product may fall in. The LEED system is designed to be flexible in this way.

To learn the intricacies of the LEED standard, you should enroll in a LEED Exam Prep course and consider becoming a LEED Green Associate accredited professional. Regardless of whether you actually go on to take the LEED Green Associate exam and pursue the professional credential, the LEED knowledge will be massively helpful for determining how your product is or can be compliant with the LEED Certification standards.

After you learn the LEED information, you’ll feel more comfortable navigating the LEED credits and understanding exactly how your product can help those working on LEED projects.

Which Green Product Label Should You Pursue?

As you participate in LEED education, you’ll find that the LEED standards list several green labeling programs for products. There are green product labels for electronics, appliances, home office equipment, wood and forestry products, paints, and cleaning products.

Specifically, you’ll find that the various green labels often refer to specific types of products. In other words, it’s not as simple as just pursuing the Energy Star label for any and all products. Maybe your product aligns better with the Forest Stewardship Council.

We discuss all of the green product labels in our LEED Green Associate Exam Prep course, providing you a sense of which green labeling program best aligns with your product and how you can maximize that information as a sales tool.

For more information about LEED Certification or the LEED professional credentialing process, please call us at (800) 460-2575.