CHPS Releases High Performance Building Products Database for Public Use

Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) delivers tool for identifying sustainable, healthy construction products

August 26, 2009 (San Francisco, CA) The Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) made a new tool available to help identify building products that contribute to sustainable, healthy, built environments. The tool is an online, searchable database where users, such as architects, building owners and contractors can search for products that have met certain environmental or health standards ranging from recycled content to materials that contribute to improved indoor air quality. The database can be found at: http://www.chpsregistry.com/live/public.

The project was funded by a grant from the US Environmental Protection Agency, and was supported by the California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB), California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI).

"With this database, CHPS continues to push the market forward in getting better building products into our schools and buildings,” said Bill Orr, executive director of CHPS. “We hope that the CHPS high performance products database will encourage manufacturers to create more sustainable, healthy building products, and assist customers in finding and purchasing these products.”

The database will list low VOC (volatile organic compounds) emitting materials, materials containing recycled content, rapidly renewable materials, organically grown materials, certified sustainable wood products, and products with low mercury content. Product types range from construction materials to paints and carpeting.

“"Using environmentally-sound building materials and products promotes healthier indoor air quality and contributes to reducing a building's carbon footprint," said Tom Huetteman, Waste Management Division associate director for U.S. EPA's Pacific Southwest Division. "EPA funding has helped CHPS create a free, easy-to-use on-line database that can help anyone make choices for creating buildings that are good for people and the environment."

The database is one of the first of its kind to combine a diverse slate of certifications address high performance building practices. As the database continues to grow, CHPS will strive to add new product categories, and new functionalities, such as a search function based on a product’s green building rating program compliance.

Manufacturers are required to submit documents proving their products’ certification. Products that have not been verified can be listed in the database but are “flagged” with a self-declaration status. Certifications are valid for two years. The database replaces the low-emitting materials table, a popular resource provided by CHPS. This static table is referenced by a number of green building standards for schools and other types of buildings.

CHPS is a 501c(3) non-profit headquartered in San Francisco. The Collaborative for High Performance Schools created the nation’s first green building rating program developed especially for school learning environments. The mission of CHPS is make schools better places to learn. CHPS improves the quality of education for our nation’s schoolchildren by facilitating the design, construction and operation of a new generation of high performance - environmentally sustainable, healthy and comfortable - schools. For more information about CHPS, visit www.chps.net.

To access the database, visit: http://www.chpsregistry.com/live/public/.