Understanding LEED v4

The Canadian Green Building Council (CaGBC®), through its Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED) certification program is the most widely used third-party verification for green buildings.

CaGBC announced a new version of the standard (LEED v4) in November 2013 with implementation by Oct 31, 2016. This updated rating system includes product transparency, whole building life-cycle analysis, and new energy standards - believed to provide a framework for holistic green buildings.

CaGBC LEED v4 works for all buildings - from homes to corporate headquarters - at all phases of development. Projects pursuing LEED v4 certification earn points across several areas intended to address sustainability issues. Based on the number of points achieved, a project then receives one of four LEED rating levels: Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum.
Projects might encompass the following common market sectors:

  • New Construction
  • Core and Shell Development
  • Schools
  • Retail
  • Data Centers
  • Warehouses & Distribution Centers
  • Hospitality
  • Healthcare
  • Commercial Interiors

Indoor Environmental Quality (EQ)

EQ Credit: Low-Emitting Materials

The intent of the credit is to reduce concentrations of chemical contaminants that can damage air quality, human health, productivity, and the environment. This requires that our paints meet both VOC content (Total Volatile Organic Compounds - TVOC) and certified emissions requirements.Crédit : Matériaux à faibles émissions.

Materials and Resources (MR)

MR Credit: Building Product Disclosure and Optimization – Environmental Product Declarations

This credit encourages the use of products for which life-cycle information is available. PPG Paints Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) are third-party Product Specific Type III EPDs conforming to ISO 14025.

MR Credit: Building Product Disclosure and Optimization – Material Ingredients
Developed to encourage the use of products for which the chemical ingredients in a product are reported. SICO Paints complies with Option 1, Material Ingredient Reporting through full disclosures in compliance with the Health Product Declaration Open Standard.

SICO Paints has a wide range of products that can help you earn CaGBC LEED v4 points. Scroll down to view the products.

Key terms for LEED V4

Environmental Product Declarations (EPD): the summary document of data collected in the Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) as specified by a relevant Product Category Rule (PCR). EPDs can enable comparison between products if the underlying studies and assumptions are similar.

Life Cycle Assessment or Analysis (LCA): a technique to assess environmental impacts associated with all the stages of a product's life from cradle to grave (i.e., from raw material extraction through materials processing, manufacture, distribution, use, repair and maintenance, and disposal or recycling), as defined in ISO 14040.

Product Category Rule (PCR): defines the rules and requirements for creating EPDs of a certain product category, as described in ISO 14025. PCRs allow for review and comparison of different environmental product attributes among products in a defined category.

Health Product Declaration (HPD): document used to report building product content and associated health information.  Chemical substances are screened against the HPD Priority Hazard Lists for human and environmental health impacts.

SICO Paints has a wide range of products that can help you earn CaGBC LEED v4 points. Scroll down to view the products.

Our Commitment to LEED v4

We at SICO Paints are committed to providing our customers with the highest quality paints and coatings. With the implementation of LEED v4 we are proud to say that PPG has the products you need.  Our goal is to develop and provide product options for the architects and designers selecting the products, the applicators using the products and the people that occupy the space.

Want to find out more about LEED v4?

Please visit the Canadian Green Building Council's LEED® v4 Resources page.