Balancing the Environmental and Economic Performance of Products.
Balancing the Environmental and Economic Performance of
Products.
(726 K)
Lippiatt, B. C.; Boyles, A. S.
Environmental Design and Construction, 24-26,110-111,
November/December.
Keywords:
life cycle assessment; building products; environmental
effects
Abstract:
How do you select environmentally preferable products?
Is a product environmentally preferable if it has
recycled content? Is it not preferable if it offgasses
during use? Are mainstream products always less
preferable than products marketed and perceived as
"environmentally friendly"? Do environmentally
preferable products always cost more? The BEES software
says, "not necessarily." BEES (Building for
Environmental and Economic Sustainability) provides a
powerful technique for selecting cost-effective, "green"
building products. Developed by the NIST (National
Institute of Standards and Technology) Building and Fire
Research Laboratory with support from the US EPA
Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Program and the
White House-sponsored Partnership for Advancing
Technology in Housing (PATH), the tool is based on
consensus standards and is designed to be practical,
flexible and transparent. Version 2.0 of the
Windows-based decision support software, aimed at
designers, builders and product manufacturers, is now
available for downloading at no charge
(www.bfrl.nist.gov/oae/bees.html). This new version
includes actual environmental and economic performance
data for over 65 generic building products.
Building and Fire Research Laboratory
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Gaithersburg, MD 20899