What is LEED?
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design is composed of volunteer committees made up of diverse groups of practitioners and experts representing a cross-section of the building and construction industry. They set standards and implement the Green Building Rating System; standards intended to encourage "Green Building" and assess to lenders, purchasers, and other interested parties that the standards are being met.
Why bother with LEED?
There are both environmental and financial benefits to earning LEED certification:
- Lower operating costs and increased asset value.
- Reduce waste sent to landfills.
- Conserve energy and water.
- Healthier and safer for occupants.
- Reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions.
- Qualify for tax rebates, zoning allowances and other incentive
Can BioBased Foam help me get LEEDs credits?
BioBased Insulation has been used by builders to help in qualifying for LEED credits. Below are examples of how other builders used BioBased spray foam insulation to acquire up to 16 LEED credits.
- Category - Energy and Atmosphere
- BioBased helps builders achieve the required energy performance necessary to comply with ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1-2004 or the local energy code 99 (whichever is more stringent). This is a prerequisite to getting any LEED credits. BioBased can go a long way here to help with an efficient, sealed design that meets or beast standards and code.
- Optimise Energy Performance - Again, this is exactly what BioBased Insulation is designed to do: insulate and lower energy use, allowing downsized HVAC systems and the ability to supply the required ventilation. When BioBased spray foam is incorporated into the entire building concept, you may achieve all 10 possible points.
- Category - Materials & Resources
- Less waste in the landfills. Dealers at BioTex Foam apply only the insulation needed, resulting in very little waste. This helps the entire project reach the goal of less landfill waste. Our spray foam insulation contributes to significantly lower the amount of waste materials by weight, tremendously helping the project reach the target for diverting waste from the landfill.
- Regional materials. Requires materials and products manufactured within 500 miles of the project site. The BioBased products we use are manufactured in Rogers, Arkansas. Mapsco routed this 529 miles from Austin.
- Rapidly Renewing materials. 2.5% of the total value of all materials used in the construction of the project be renewable within 10 years. Since BioBased products are from soybeans and renew annually, using BioBased spray foam goes a long way toward meeting your 2.5% minimum. No other spray foam is from a renewable source.
- Category - Indoor Environmental Quality
- Low Emitting Materials. BioBased insulation utilizes water as its blowing agent, reducing the concentration of indoor air contaminants that are odorous, irritating or harmful to the comfort and well-being of the installers and occupants.
- Thermal Comfort and the Controlling of Systems. BioBased insulates and seals a building to ASHRAE Standard 55-2004, which allows for controlled ventilation, uniform temperatures, humidity control and the reduction of pollutants. Obviously, this is another place BioBased products can nearly assure you of credits.
- Category - Innovation & Design Process
- Exceptional performance. Your design team has an opportunity to be awarded points for exceptional performance above and beyond the requirements set by the LEED Green Building Rating System. Use BioBased products where conventional insulation products cannot go. The skeletal structure of BioBased 1701 can give new possibilities for innovative design. They are guaranteed to perform for the life of the structure, so put your creativity to work and grab the credits.
Is a tax credit like a tax deduction?
No, a tax credit is much better. A tax credit dollar is subtracted dollar for dollar from the tax owed versus a tax deduction which is a deduction of net income before applying your tax rate.