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Is Wire and Cable LEED for Real?

Posted October 25, 2008 8:00 AM

"Green" is the latest fad in construction these days. There are even implications for those involved in cable installation and management. Proponents say that achieving a high Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating not only has a positive effect on the environment, but can also have a positive impact on the bottom line, including energy savings, higher occupancy rates, and higher rental rates and sale prices. What's been your experience? Is getting an LEED certification worth it?

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Guru

Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Chicago
Posts: 3990
Good Answers: 144
#1

Re: Is Wire and Cable LEED for Real?

10/26/2008 5:08 PM

I used to own and operate an electrical contracting business in Chicago. I purchased about 30-50K ft of high end specialty cable at a time.

What is out there is designed very well for what it does.

I would not want to be forced to purchase LEED certified cable. It is 100% useless to me. Some of my jobs would use dozens of types of wire and cable and it would be impossible to enforce from a business standpoint.

I would not have been able to use my existing product or suppliers if such a foolish idea were put into practice. It would drive prices up and force suppliers to deal with the backlash.

It would do nothing to ensure energy savings, occupancy rates, or any of the other benefits mentioned.

There is a reason for the different types of certification that already applies to wire and cable.

Signal characteristics, and load specifications, CMR (certified multi riser), and plenum rating are the only types of certifications I'm interested in.

Outside certifying the recycled content of the insulator, conductor, and other cable components? What do they think they intend to do to achieve the so called LEED certification?

The big problem is that people mention something like it's a good idea, and people automatically say yes without thought.

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