Sustainability requirements for construction products in WELL certification

Within this credit, two options are available. Option 1 allows for the gathering of 1 point if at least 10 different permanently installed products sourced from at least three different manufacturers have either a product-specific type III EPD or an industry-wide type III EPD. If a product has a product-specific type EPD or an industry-wide EPD (i.e. with third-party verification) and if the product is manufactured within 100 miles of the project site, it is valued as 2 products. If it only has a product-specific EPD, then it is valued as 1.5 products and for an industry-wide EPD, as 1 product.
Option 2 looks at the reduction of the Global Warming Potential (GWP) of the product in comparison to other conventional products as well as impact categories other than GWP and allows for up to 1 more points (for a total of max. 2 points for the EPD credit). Depending on how much GWP reduction can be determined, then a product can be valued as up to 2 products.

Within this feature, three parts are established, all of which are reflected in proca. For this feature, possible asbestos, lead, and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) hazards are to be identified and tested per standards identified by WELL. This is once again a pre-condition which does not lead to any points.

This feature aims to minimize the exposure of certain chemicals by limiting their presence inproducts and can lead to a maximum of 2 points. Part 1 “Select CompliantInterior Furnishings” addresses furniture, millwork and fixtures as well as electricaland electronic products. The first batch of products need to either not containtextiles or plastics, or if they do, fall under certain limits of Halogenated Flame Retardants (HFR), Per- und polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), lead, cadmium, and mercury content. Electrical and electronic products must be compliant with RoHS restrictions. If for at least 50% by cost of newly installed relevant products (minimum of 10 products), these requirements are met, one point can be awarded. For an additional point, at least 50% by cost of newly installed flooring products, insulation products, ceiling and wall finishes, and pipes and fittings for water distribution must also meet certain requirements regarding HFR, PFAS and orthophthalates (at least 10 distinctproducts).

This feature is also divided into two parts, and two points can be awarded per part, for a maximum of four points within this feature. Part 1 “Limit VOCs from Wet-Applied Products” addresses interior well-applied paints, coatings, adhesives, and sealants which must be tested to meet methods and thresholds established in given standards and/or regulations for their VOC content and 75% of products must be tested by a third-party laboratory to meet further VOC emission regulations. For Part 2 “Restrict VOC Emissions from Furniture, Architectural, and InteriorProducts” once again certain test methods must be carried out to determine VOC emissions of products. Depending on how many compliant product categories are recorded, up to 2 points can be awarded.

This feature aims to promote material transparency by requiring the provision of product descriptions, including ingredient disclosure. Divided into three parts, a maximum of 3 points can be awarded for this feature. Part 1 determines if at least 25 products installed (categorized into specific product groups) have their ingredients disclosed by either the manufacturer, a disclosure organization or a third party through a type of declaration (for example,through a Declare label or a Cradle to Cradle^TM certification). Another possibility is that the manufacturer’s inventory containing CAS numbers of all individual compounds down to 1,000 ppm (0.1%) is disclosed. For Part 2,15 further products must meet requirements including a declaration ofingredients down to 100 ppm and indicate whether they have disclosed their ingredients in form of a standardized declaration (Declare, Health Product Declaration, etc.). Finally, for part 3 and the third possible point, 15 further products must meet the requirements from Part 1 but must further confirm, that the ingredient disclosure has been verified by a third party.

The final feature that is included in proca is also divided into two parts, with a maximum of 2 points to be awarded. Part 1 “Select Materials with Enhanced Chemical Restrictions” requires that at least 25 permanently installed products of specific product groups have their ingredients inventoried to 100 ppm and prove that they are free of chemicals per REACH for example or the Living Building Challenge’s Red List. Part 2 “Select Optimized Products” awards a potential point if 15 permanently installed products can show that they have either a Cradle to Cradle^TM certification, a Living Product Certification or equivalent, or a Global Green Tag Product Health Declaration.

The WELL Air concept aims to achieve high interior quality. Characteristics such as ventilation design, air filtration or even window design are evaluated. All products that contribute to a building's air quality therefore play an indirect role.

The WELL Water concept covers all aspects of the supply of liquid water in a building (quality, distribution and control). For example, aspects such as the assessment of drinking water quality, moisture management or the reuse of non-potable water on site are assessed.

The WELL Light concept promotes exposure to light and aims to create environments that promote visual health. Lighting design, daylight simulation and electrical light quality are some of the features that are assessed and are indirectly influenced by the products used in a building.

Similar to the light concept, the Thermal Comfort concept aims to promote human productivity and offer occupants of a building maximum comfort. Characteristics such as thermal zoning, humidity control and improved operable windows are assessed.

The WELL Sound concept focuses on aspects such as sound barriers, sound-absorbing surfaces and hearing protection. Here, too, the installed products play an indirect role in the evaluation.