Are you building a new office space or renovating your existing site? The LEED point and credit system developed in 1998 by the U.S. Green Building Council may provide you with grant funds and tax breaks if you make the right design decisions. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program looks at the entire office building, inside and out, to determine compliance with best practices for sustainability.

Points are tallied up for each choice that promotes greater energy efficiency, more environmental responsibility, or better indoor air quality. Everything from building materials to lighting choices and office furniture are taken into consideration during a review by an LEED accreditation professional. Participating businesses can achieve progressively higher levels of certification all the way up to “Platinum” which offers the biggest incentives and most bragging rights.

How OBEX Products Factor In

One of the smartest ways to take advantage of the potential financial benefits of LEED certification is by saving money up front. You might think that buying “green” office furniture is more expensive than purchasing standard equipment. That might be true – if you buy new. But pre-owned office furniture is much cheaper and qualifies for LEED points because it reduces the energy and raw material consumption that goes into furnishing your office. In fact, buying used furniture is always more environmentally friendly than buying even the most eco-responsible new furniture.

The downside of buying used workstations is that you don’t have quite the range of options you might like. For example, you might not find cubicles with walls high enough. Or, you might find that the most cost-effective option is a benching configuration – but not want to go with an entirely open office layout. Our panel products can extend the height of cubicle walls or turn a regular desk into a more private, less noisy workstation in minutes at a very low cost. Second hand cubicles can be refurbished in the fabric of your choice – and you can have your panel extenders made to match.

To answer the question in the title of this post: Our privacy panels give you more flexibility in using pre-owned workstations. So, we think they deserve a little appreciation for making it easier for you to earn those LEED points while saving money at the same time.