The Hearth Products that Receive Points For the US Green Building Council LEED Certified Green Homes
The US Green Building Council has just released a revised rating system for homes, dated January 2008.
Comments:
The rating system still limits the rating of hearth products to their potential for affecting indoor air quality and still does not consider their dramatic benefits in reducing global warming and the use of fuels that are renewable and sustainable.
The rating system completely ignores natural gas and propane fireplaces, but amazingly lists gas stoves. This is particularly poor because almost all new homes have direct vent gas fireplaces and none have stoves. This is even worse because gas fireplaces have no more negative impact on indoor air quality than gas stoves do. Amazingly, the rating system ignores gas and pellet inserts but for some reason, includes wood burning inserts.
This is how hearth products are currently listed:
General Requirements For All Combustion Appliances and Hearth Products:
No unvented combustion appliances are allowed.
All fireplaces and wood stoves must have doors.
A carbon monoxide monitor must be installed on each floor.
Masonry Wood Burning Fireplaces:
1 Point: “Masonry heaters” as defined by ASTM E-1602 and IBC 2112.1.
2 Points: Must also pass a 5 Pascal back-draft test.
Factory Built Wood Burning Fireplaces:
1 Point: Must be safety test facility listed and be EPA Certified to less than 7.5 g/hr if non-catalytic and 4.1 g/hr if catalytic.
2 Points: Must also pass a 5 Pascal back-draft test.
Wood Stove and Fireplace Insert:
1 Point: Must be safety test facility listed and be EPA Certified to less than 7.5 g/hr if non-catalytic and 4.1 g/hr if catalytic.
2 Points: Must also pass a 5 Pascal back-draft test.
Natural Gas, Propane, Or Alcohol Stove:
1 Point: Must be safety test facility listed and be power vented or direct vented. Must have a fixed glass front.
2 Points: Must also include an electronic (non-standing) pilot.
Pellet Stove:
1 Point: Must be EPA certified or safety test facility listed and meet ASTM 1509-4.
2 Points: Must also include power venting or direct venting.
Please review the following USGBC website, section “LEED® For Homes Rating System” for specific USGBC wording: http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=147#2008