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The BEES (Building for Environmental and Economic
Sustainability) software brings to your fingertips a powerful
technique for selecting cost-effective, environmentally-preferable building products. Developed by the
NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology)
Building and Fire Research Laboratory the tool is based on consensus standards and designed
to be practical, flexible, and transparent. Version 4.0 of the Windows-based
decision support software, aimed at designers, builders, and product
manufacturers, includes actual environmental and economic performance data
for 230 building products.
In support of the 2002 Farm Security and Rural Investment Act (P.L. 107-171), BEES has been adapted for application to biobased products.
For more information about this program, go to BEES for USDA.
BEES measures the environmental performance of building products by using the life-cycle assessment approach specified in
the ISO 14040 series of standards. All
stages in the life of a product are analyzed: raw material acquisition, manufacture, transportation, installation, use, and recycling and waste management. Economic performance is measured
using the ASTM standard life-cycle cost method, which covers the costs of initial investment, replacement, operation,
maintenance and repair, and disposal. Environmental and economic performance are combined into an overall performance
measure using the ASTM standard for Multi-Attribute Decision Analysis. For the entire BEES analysis, building products are
defined and classified according to the ASTM standard classification for building elements known as UNIFORMAT II.
BEES has been supported in part by the
U.S. EPA Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP) Program. The EPP program is
charged with carrying out Executive Order 13423, "Strengthening Federal
Environmental, Energy, and Transportation Management," which encourages
Executive agencies to reduce the environmental burdens associated with the more
than $230 billion in products and services they buy each year, including
building products.
BEES 4.0 runs on Windows 95, and beyond personal computers with at least 60 MB of
available disk space. A printer must be installed. Download your free
copy of BEES now. If you prefer a free BEES 4.0 compact disc and printed manual, place your order through the EPA Pollution Prevention Information
Clearinghouse by calling (202) 566-0799 or e-mailing
ppic@epa.gov.
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