Article Number : 3776 |
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| Date | 10/24/2008 9:36:33 AM |
| Written By | LGM & Associates Technical Flooring Services |
| View this article at: | //floorbiz.com/BizResources/NPViewArticle.asp?ArticleID=3776 |
| Abstract | Interest in green services and products in the commercial, governmental and residential markets has been growing at a phenomenal rate over the past year. Evaluations and ratings, however, have been inconsistent across the board... |
| Article | Interest in green services and products in the commercial, governmental and residential markets has been growing at a phenomenal rate over the past year. Evaluations and ratings, however, have been inconsistent across the board. To help its members walk their customers to intelligent choices, the World Floor Covering Association (WFCA) has published a useful guide identifying what is genuinely green in the areas of manufacturing, products and construction in the flooring category. Prior to the WFCA’s Green Primer, no single document has been able to categorically reveal whether construction practices and flooring products were environmentally friendly. Other guides have widely varying degrees of third-party oversight and stringency, and many have been criticized as being manipulated by those who simply want a green “seal of approval” for marketing or public relations purposes. The area of green building has further been complicated by the fact that there are different standards for commercial and residential construction and separate standards for renovations. “The WFCA-funded primer developed by Crowell & Moring provides an introduction to relevant green assessment programs so that WFCA members may better understand which of their products and practices may be characterized as environmentally friendly,” said Chris Davis, president and CEO of the WFCA. “Armed with this information, members will be better able to communicate what is truly green to their customers.” The guide is broken down into five distinct sections: • Section I focuses on the two most well-known rating systems: the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) system and Green Globes;, • Section II identifies particular flooring-related products, installation practices and waste management practices that can generate green points under these systems; • Section III focuses on residential standards, particularly the new LEED for Homes system; • Section IV provides guidance on how to verify that a particular flooring product meets green standards; and • Section V summarizes some of the possible benefits of being (and being recognized as) green. It also describes sources through which a WFCA member can determine if tax credits, “energy-efficient mortgages” and other benefits are available. This primer is an exclusive WFCA-member benefit. |