TheLEED for Homes Rating System (v4)outlines the requirements for theMaterials and Resources (MR) Credit: Environmentally Preferable Products, which encourages the use of sustainable materials. The credit has two options:Option 1: Local Production(materials sourced within 100 miles) andOption 2: Environmentally Preferable Products(materials with attributes like recycled content, FSC-certified wood, or low emissions).
According to theLEED Reference Guide for Homes Design and Construction (v4):
MR Credit: Environmentally Preferable Products (1–4 points)
Earn points by meeting the following:
Option 2: Environmentally Preferable Products: Use products that meet one or more of the following criteria for at least 25% (1 point), 50% (2 points), or 90% (3–4 points) by cost of the total materials:
Recycled content
FSC-certified wood
Bio-based materials
Low-emission products (e.g., low-VOC paints)To earn 1 point, at least 25% of the materials (by cost) must meet two or more of these criteria.Source: LEED Reference Guide for Homes Design and Construction, v4, Materials and Resources Credit: Environmentally Preferable Products, p. 160–161.
TheLEED v4.1 Residential BD+Crating system confirms:
MR Credit: Environmentally Preferable Products
For 1 point, use products that meet two or more environmentally preferable criteria (e.g., recycled content, FSC-certified) for at least 25% of the total material cost.
Source: LEED v4.1 Residential BD+C, Credit Library, accessed via USGBC LEED Online.
To earnone pointunder Option 2, the project must use materials that collectively meettwo or moreof the environmentally preferable criteria (e.g., a product with both recycled content and low emissions) for at least 25% of the total material cost. This makesOption Bthe correct answer.
Why not the other options?
[Reference: LEED Reference Guide for Homes Design and Construction, v4, MR Credit: Environmentally Preferable Products, p. 161., C. Achieve more than 95% of the component by weight or volume that meets Option 1: Local Production: Option 1 focuses on local production (within 100 miles), not environmentally preferable attributes, and uses cost, not weight or volume. It is a separate compliance path.Reference: LEED Reference Guide for Homes Design and Construction, v4, MR Credit: Environmentally Preferable Products, p. 160., D. Meet both Option 1: Local Production and Option 2: Environmentally Preferable Products: The credit allows projects to pursue either Option 1 or Option 2 independently. Meeting both is not required for one point.Reference: LEED Reference Guide for Homes Design and Construction, v4, MR Credit: Environmentally Preferable Products, p. 160., TheLEED AP Homes Candidate Handbookemphasizes MR credits, including Environmentally Preferable Products, and references theLEED Reference Guide for Homes Design and Constructionas a key resource. The exam is based onLEED v4, ensuring the relevance of Option 2’s criteria., References:, LEED Reference Guide for Homes Design and Construction, v4, USGBC, Materials and Resources Credit: Environmentally Preferable Products, p. 160–161., LEED v4.1 Residential BD+C, USGBC LEED Credit Library, accessed via LEED Online (https://www.usgbc.org/credits)., LEED AP Homes Candidate Handbook, GBCI, October 2024, p. 12 (references study resources and exam scope based on LEED v4)., USGBC LEED for Homes Rating System (v4), available via USGBC website (https://www.usgbc.org/resources/leed-homes-design-and-construction-v4)., LEED v4.1 for Homes, USGBC, accessed via LEED Online, confirming criteria for one point., ]
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