LEED AP Building Design and Construction (BD+C) Practice Exam

What is the product value of an industry-wide (generic) EPD?

1. 1/4 of a product

2. 1/2 of a product

3. 3/4 of a product

4. 1 product

The correct answer is: 1/2 of a product

The product value of an industry-wide (generic) Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) is considered to be half of a product. This is because a generic EPD provides data and insights based on averages across a product category rather than specific data for a single manufacturer's product. Such EPDs can reveal a range of environmental impacts associated with a category of products, allowing for broader comparisons and assessments. By providing a collective understanding of environmental performance, a generic EPD is useful for informing decisions at the level of product comparisons but may not allow for precise claims or credits for specific products without additional documentation. Thus, it is seen as offering half of the value that would come from a specific product EPD, which contains tailored and detailed information about a particular product's environmental impact.