Embodied energy and LEED for Homes
Brian Becker| Posted inGeneral Questionson
Is the embodied energy of materials used in a project considered at any point in the LEED for Homes process?
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The EPP table in MR2.2 was developed by the Materials & Resources Technical Advisory Sub-committee for LEED for Homes, based on their collective years (many) of experience in residential green building and familiarity with the array of material options available for each building component. Embodied energy is one of the principal considerations for inclusion in the table; other factors include ecosystem/habitat impacts associated with extraction/harvesting, health impacts to workers and occupants, and renewability and/or recyclability of the resource inputs. (The ubiquitous material attributes found in LEED for Homes and the other LEED programs -- FSC certification, salvaged/reclaimed, recycled content, and low emissions -- are all proxies for those life-cycle considerations.)