Summary:

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™ was launched by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) in 2000 to encourage and accelerate global adoption of sustainable green building and development practices.

LEED is a third-party certification program for the design, construction and operation of green buildings. LEED promotes sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality.

Applicability To ASCO Products:

ASCO Power Technologies is committed to developing and providing products and maintaining business practices that are in keeping with environmentally friendly policies. We have reviewed the USGBC requirements related to the LEED initiative and determined applicability to solutions provided by ASCO in the following areas:

1) Energy efficiency. This covers rating systems such as to SEER ratings for HVAC products, or energy consumption ratings used on hot water heating products. Such ratings are typically industry standards that provide a direct or relative measure of energy consumption by the product in question.

ASCO products do not consume energy or electricity to any degree of significance; our products channel and monitor power flow. LEED requirements related to energy efficiency have no applicability to ASCO products.

2) Harvested materials product content. LEED calls for manufacturers of products containing harvested goods such as wool, lumber, or cotton, to evaluate the proximity of their point of use to the harvesting point of those raw materials, as well as use of renewable sources for harvested goods.

ASCO products have no material content related to harvested goods as defined by LEED.

3) Post-consumer recycled content. LEED compliance requires manufacturers of products containing post-consumer recycled materials, to provide information on the percentage of such materials used within their final product.

Materials defined for use as post-consumer recycled content as defined by LEED are not utilized in or applicable to ASCO power transfer switches, power control systems, or lighting contactors.

It is also important to note that contrary to popular belief, there is no such thing as a “LEED Certified” product of any kind in any industry. Only entire buildings can be LEED certified. While individual products can contribute points toward the LEED building certification effort, based on material content or product performance data where applicable, LEED certification does not apply to individual products in any way.

Additional Information:

Further details related to the U.S. Green Building Council and LEED rating systems, project certification, and professional accreditation may be accessed at the official USGBC web site: http://www.usgbc.org/LEED