How Masonry Suppliers Are Driving the Green Building Revolution Through LEED and Energy Star Certifications
The construction industry is experiencing a transformative shift toward sustainability, with green building certifications becoming the gold standard for environmentally responsible development. LEED is the most widely recognized green building rating system in the world. LEED certification offers a framework for healthy, efficient, and cost-effective green buildings, providing environmental and social benefits. For property owners and developers seeking these prestigious certifications, the choice of building materials plays a crucial role in achieving their sustainability goals.
Understanding LEED and Energy Star Certification Requirements
LEED addresses everything from energy and water use to materials selection, managing waste and indoor environmental quality through a series of credit categories tailored for each rating system. To achieve LEED certification, a project must first complete all prerequisites and then earn points by selecting and satisfying credit requirements. Projects go through a verification and review process by GBCI and are awarded points that correspond to a level of LEED certification: Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum.
Energy Star is a certification program developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that delivers environmental benefits and financial value through energy efficiency. The program offers free tools and resources to help organizations evaluate its energy performance and reduce energy use. Energy Star and LEED are not competing programs but rather complementary to each other. Energy Star provides users the tools they need (Portfolio Manager) to reach a higher level of building energy performance, therefore helping them get closer to the standards required for LEED certification.
How Masonry Materials Contribute to Green Building Credits
Masonry materials offer unique advantages for projects pursuing green building certifications. Masonry, with its durability, local or regional manufacturing, and thermal mass characteristics, meets many of the goals of sustainable building design. An important category for earning LEED points and achieving certification is Materials and Resources (MR), with 18 points available—second only to Energy and Atmosphere at 33. LEED v5 emphasizes embodied carbon in this category, with a new prerequisite and credit aimed at assessment and reduction.
Concrete masonry products are an excellent choice for architects and project teams who want to achieve this credit. For one, EPDs are readily available, and not only for individual products. CMUs also have a built-in embodied carbon reduction feature known as sequestration. During production, as the concrete begins to hydrate, it chemically binds with carbon dioxide (CO2) in the environment. Also called carbonation, this process locks the CO2 molecules into the matrix of the concrete, reducing the overall embodied carbon impact of the product.
Regional Materials and Supply Chain Benefits
One of the most significant ways masonry suppliers support green building projects is through regional sourcing. Masonry products can contribute to one point when 20% of the building materials and products are manufactured within a 500-mile radius of the project site (Credit 5.1). One additional point is earned if the regionally manufactured materials use a minimum of 50% of building materials that are extracted, harvested or recovered within 500 miles of the project site (Credit 5.2). Using locally sourced materials reduces transportation emissions and supports local economies. It’s a key principle in green masonry practices.
For contractors and developers working with a reliable masonry supply company, this regional advantage becomes even more valuable. Local suppliers can provide detailed documentation about material origins and manufacturing processes, making it easier to earn LEED credits while supporting the local economy.
Energy Efficiency and Thermal Performance
Ceramic Glazed Brick used in passive solar designs to take advantage of their thermal mass can reduce temperature swings, store heating/cooling for release at later times and reduce peak energy loads. This thermal mass characteristic of masonry materials directly supports Energy Star certification requirements by reducing overall energy consumption for heating and cooling.
Energy Star certified buildings generate 35 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions, have higher occupancy rates and command higher rents, and get better financing terms. Masonry materials contribute to these energy savings through their inherent thermal properties and durability.
Construction Waste Management and Recycling
Projects can earn up to two points in this credit for either diversion of waste or minimization of total construction waste on the project. Many masonry products are recyclable. Further, use of these products minimizes construction waste on-site because their modular nature minimizes on-site cutting.
Unused concrete masonry units returned to the manufacturer from a job site are considered under Materials and Resources Credit 2: Construction Waste Management. Under Credit 2, the building project with unused materials can earn LEED point(s) for returning those materials, and hence diverting them from a landfill.
Indoor Environmental Quality Benefits
Masonry materials also contribute to better indoor air quality, another important aspect of green building certification. A credit could be written for improved air quality beyond that required in LEED EQ (Indoor Environmental Quality) Credit 4 – Low Emitting Materials by choosing materials throughout the building that do not require paint or coatings such as glazed masonry in toilet and janitorial rooms, brick pavers for flooring, architectural concrete masonry for walls, etc. All materials used in the building would be considered, and masonry could be a large contributor to achieving the intent.
The Future of Sustainable Masonry
For projects aiming to earn LEED v5 certification, meet resilience targets, and reduce embodied carbon, masonry offers a proven, pragmatic path forward. Sustainable masonry is more than just a trend; it’s a necessary evolution in the construction industry. By incorporating eco-friendly materials and practices, commercial building owners and managers can reduce environmental impact, lower operating costs, and potentially achieve valuable green building certifications.
As green building standards continue to evolve, masonry suppliers play an increasingly important role in supporting sustainable construction practices. By providing detailed environmental product declarations, maintaining regional supply chains, and offering recyclable materials, these suppliers enable architects, contractors, and developers to achieve their sustainability goals while building structures that will stand the test of time.
The partnership between masonry suppliers and green building projects represents a win-win scenario: builders get the materials they need to achieve certification, while suppliers contribute to a more sustainable built environment. As demand for green buildings continues to grow, this collaboration will only become more critical to the success of sustainable construction projects.