Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) has emerged recently as a major green building rating system for many new building designers and developers.

The LEED certification process, which uses a point system to declare new buildings as “environmentally friendly,” is lengthy and fairly complicated.  To help our customers understand the role communications cable has in the certification process, we have answered the most commonly asked questions below.

Q: Are any Superior Essex products certified for LEED points/accreditation if utilized in a LEED certified building? 

A: No. As of today, no points can be earned for any attributes of cable products. There is a stated goal within LEED to purchase products that are produced less than 500 miles away from the building location, but such a measurement for cable does not translate into points. BiCSi is working with the LEEDS council to change this.  

Q: Does LEED currently allow for any points to be awarded based on any attributes of the cable products selected for the building? 

A: Yes. In 4Q09 USGBC created a “pilot credit” that can provide 1 LEED point  for the use of certain products (including cables, window frames, ceiling and floor tiles, conduit and other products) that do not contain halogenated organic compounds.  Vinyl, PVCs, FEP and other fluorinated materials are classified as Halogenated Organic compounds and are widely used in communications cable products for their fire, smoke and low dielectric properties(in the case of FEP).  

In order for cable products to help earn this pilot credit point, the cables must not exceed defined limits for the content of halogenated organic compounds.   This criteria is controversial because many experts in the plastics industry have shown that  PVC and FEP plastics are not any less “green” than alternative materials used in cable construction, yet PVC and FEP plastics are very beneficial in terms of fire/smoke suppression and make them indispensible for construction of riser and plenum rated cables.  Details on this pilot credit program are available here.

Q: Is cable RoHS compliance a requirement or benefit to the LEED certification process? 

A: No. At this time, RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) compliance is not recognized by the LEED system as a benefit that counts towards LEED certification.  This may change in the future as proposals are made to the U.S. Green Building Council to consider RoHS as a valuable benefit to the environmental cause. 

Q:  Are any changes anticipated to occur within LEED to include communications cabling? 

A: Yes.  A Pilot Credit was established in 4Q09 by USGBC that covers cable products among other products. This pilot credit program is not yet permanent, but could become permanent after the pilot program has been evaluated, or it could be deleted as well.

Superior Essex will keep you updated on this topic as it unfolds.