Transparency is the New Green in product selection, specification & procurement: Creating LEED v4.1 Optimized EPDs: USGBC, Owens Corning & Advanced Fiber Technology

Performance improvement matters.

LEED v4.1 rewards the use of higher performing products. The range of report types included in the EPD Option 2: Embodied Carbon/LCA Optimization [1] credit now makes it possible for manufacturers of all sizes and stages in their transparency journeys to demonstrate how they are credibly achieving measurable improvements.

Environmental performance is a key attribute AECOs are using to make decisions about products. Meet two insulation MFRs leading the way making higher performing products and disclosing how they’re doing it. Check the optimized EPDs for Carbon Smart Loose-Fill Cellulose [2] and EcoTouch® PINK® FIBERGLAS® [3] insulations.

EC3 tool results in the Transparency Catalog: Look for the green blocks showing the quintiles in which the product's embodied carbon compares to the catagory range. BOTH products are among the 20% of related products with the lowest embodied carbon. Click the CO2 | EC3 link to go directly to the EPD page to run comparisons and add products to your project.

Join us to learn about:

• USGBC’s goals for the LEED 4.1 optimized EPD credit and the report types available to achieve them
• Using the same PCR, how each MFR produced different reports
  • Product-specific EPD compared to the industry-wide EPD
  • New EPDs compared to the previous versions
• Sustainable Minds benchmarking addendum [4] for industry groups to document IW EPD participation rules & making comparisons
• The EPD and report formats from UL and Sustainable Minds to make the optimized results easier to understand
• Each MFR's history, strategies, innovations, transparency journey; great project and application stories
• Finding optimized EPDs in the Transparency Catalog, in 1 click

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Wes Sullens Director, LEED U.S. Green Building Council [5]	Doug Leuthold President Advanced Fiber Technology [6]
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Cheryl Smith Program Leader Owens Corning [9]	Terry Swack Founder/CEO Sustainable Minds [10]
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Visit the Transparency Catalog to select and specify their products.

Advanced Fiber Technology [13] (AFT) is a leading manufacturer of cellulose insulation products for thermal and acoustical insulation. AFT's line of products use natural, plant based fibers with fire retardants to meet the stringent standards of ASTM C739 and ASTM E84.

Owens Corning [14] develops, manufactures and markets insulation, roofing and fiberglass composites. The market-leading businesses use their deep expertise in materials, manufacturing and building science to develop products and systems that save energy and improve comfort in commercial and residential buildings.

Now with 1,500 brands across 27 CSI MasterFormat® divisions and 950+ sections, the Transparency Catalog [15] is continually updated and curated by the Sustainable Minds data team to include every building product MFR in N. America creating EPDs from every program operator and every material health program in N. America.