Green building materials: building curtain wall

Core Certification Content

The green building materials certification for building curtain walls revolves around the green performance throughout the product lifecycle, focusing on the following four attribute dimensions:

• Resource attributes: Includes indicators such as the comprehensive utilization rate of solid waste during production, localization of raw materials, water consumption, and recycling rate of aluminum profiles. Enterprises are encouraged to adopt recyclable materials, reduce the environmental impact of transportation through localized procurement, and pay attention to the environmental friendliness of raw materials. The green evaluation of profiles used in curtain walls can refer to the requirements of T/CECS 10041-2019 "Green Building Materials Evaluation - Profiles for Doors, Windows, and Curtain Walls."
• Energy attributes: Focuses on energy consumption per unit product. The comprehensive energy consumption during the production of curtain wall products should comply with relevant energy consumption limit standards, including control of energy consumption in profile processing, glass synthesis, and assembly. Three-star certification requires production energy consumption to reach advanced industry levels, encouraging enterprises to adopt energy-saving production processes and clean energy technologies.
• Environmental attributes: Covers indicators such as air pollutant emissions, workplace dust concentration, wastewater discharge, and noise control. Production enterprises are required to obtain pollutant discharge permits according to law and discharge pollutants in accordance with the permit. The TVOC (total volatile organic compounds) emissions from sealant materials used in curtain walls must be tested according to relevant standards to ensure the products do not pollute indoor and outdoor air quality during use.
• Quality attributes: Tests key performance indicators of building curtain wall products according to relevant product standards, including air permeability, water tightness, wind load resistance, thermal insulation, and sound insulation, ensuring that products meet green requirements while possessing excellent usability. Quality attributes also include key technical indicators such as structural safety, durability, and fire resistance of the curtain wall.

Certification Levels and Evaluation System

The green building materials product grading certification is based on the T/CECS 10027-2019 standard. According to the level of evaluation indicators achieved, products are divided into three levels from low to high:

• One-star: Meets basic green evaluation requirements and conforms to national green building materials basic standards. Enterprises must meet all control item requirements, with each evaluation indicator reaching the one-star baseline value.
• Two-star: Demonstrates good performance in resource conservation, energy consumption, and environmental protection, reaching advanced industry levels. The requirements for each evaluation indicator are stricter than those for one-star.
• Three-star: Exhibits excellent green performance, minimizing the impact on the ecological environment throughout the entire lifecycle, representing the highest level of green building materials. Three-star requires production energy consumption per unit product to reach advanced value standards, with the most stringent requirements for each evaluation indicator. Building materials that have obtained China Green Product certification are equivalent to three-star green building materials.

The evaluation method also considers the inclusion of bonus points, such as actively focusing on the environmental impact of the full lifecycle (through environmental declarations using scientific methods like LCA), using green electricity and other clean energy, completing energy management system certification, and being established as a green factory.

Certification Scope and Standard System

The green building materials certification for building curtain walls falls under the "Doors, Windows, Curtain Walls, and Decoration" product category. According to the "Green Building Materials Product Grading Certification Catalog" jointly issued by the Certification and Accreditation Administration of the People's Republic of China (CNCA), the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, building curtain walls are included in the first batch of certification scope. The scope of green building materials product certification has expanded to 6 major categories and 72 products, including 19 products in the doors, windows, curtain walls, and decoration category.

The green building materials evaluation standard system related to building curtain walls includes:

• T/CECS 10027-2019 "Green Building Materials Evaluation - Building Curtain Walls"
• T/CECS 10026-2019 "Green Building Materials Evaluation - Building Doors, Windows, and Accessories"
• T/CECS 10041-2019 "Green Building Materials Evaluation - Profiles for Doors, Windows, and Curtain Walls"
• T/CECS 10034-2019 "Green Building Materials Evaluation - Energy-Saving Glass for Buildings"

Basic Certification Requirements

Enterprises and products applying for green building materials certification for building curtain walls must meet the following basic conditions:

• Production and operation compliance: The production enterprise has had no major environmental pollution incidents or major safety accidents in the past three years. The collection, storage, and disposal of general solid waste shall comply with the relevant provisions of GB 18599; the storage of hazardous waste shall comply with the relevant provisions of GB 18597, and subsequent disposal shall be handed over to units with hazardous waste operation permits.
• Production equipment and technology compliance: The production enterprise should adopt advanced technology and processes encouraged by the state and must not use technology, processes, equipment, or related substances that have been eliminated or prohibited by the state or relevant departments.
• Management system requirements: The production enterprise should establish and operate quality management, environmental management, and occupational health and safety management systems in accordance with GB/T 19001, GB/T 24001, and GB/T 45001, respectively.
• Product conformity requirements: Product performance must meet the requirements of relevant national product standards. Products must provide a type inspection report valid within one year.
• Recycling requirements: Aluminum profile manufacturers are encouraged to use green and environmentally friendly processes to recycle external scrap aluminum, with the recycling ratio meeting relevant requirements.

Certification Process

The green building materials product grading certification implements a model of initial inspection + product sampling inspection + post-certification supervision:

• Certification application: Submit an application form (indicating the applied green building materials level), business license, product process flow chart, factory organizational chart, key raw material filing list, a product type inspection report valid within one year, and a directory of management system-related documents. The applicant enterprise must pass the certification body's review.
• Document technical review: The certification body reviews the completeness, suitability, and validity of the application documents. The review conclusion can be: meets requirements and can proceed to on-site inspection, basically meets requirements but needs supplementation, or does not meet requirements and cannot proceed to on-site inspection.
• Initial factory inspection: Includes factory assurance capability inspection, product consistency inspection, and verification of compliance with green evaluation requirements. On-site inspection focuses on the operation of the enterprise's energy management system, production energy consumption control measures, operation status of wastewater recovery systems, pollutant emission control measures, and solid waste disposal.
• Product sampling inspection: The certification body designates a laboratory with CMA qualification to complete the sampling inspection. The inspection items, technical requirements, and sampling methods shall comply with the certification implementation rules and green building materials evaluation standards. Inspection reports issued by a laboratory with CMA qualification within the past 12 months that meet the requirements can be accepted.
• Certification result evaluation and approval: After the document technical review, on-site inspection, and product sampling inspection have all passed, the certification body conducts a comprehensive evaluation, approves the certification decision, and issues the certificate. The certificate is valid for five years.
• Post-certification supervision: After certification, the enterprise arranges for supervision, with each supervision interval not exceeding one year. Supervision includes factory assurance capability inspection, product consistency inspection, verification of continued compliance with green evaluation requirements, and product supervision inspection. For non-conformities found during supervision inspection, the enterprise must complete rectification within a specified period.
• Re-certification audit: A re-certification audit is conducted before the certificate expires to extend the certification qualification, typically with a cycle of five years.

Certification Value

• Enhance product market competitiveness: Green building materials product certification is a nationally promoted voluntary product certification. Certified products can receive priority procurement and application in government procurement, key projects, municipal public works, etc. The policy supporting green building materials in government procurement jointly issued by the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology clearly requires government procurement projects to prioritize the purchase of green building materials. From 2025, the required proportion of mandatory procurement of green building materials in government projects (hospitals, schools, etc.) will continue to increase, and uncertified products will lose significant market opportunities.
• Enjoy policy support and financial subsidies: Multiple provinces and cities provide financial rewards or support for enterprises that pass green building materials product certification. For example, Shanghai and Shenzhen offer certification fee subsidies of 200,000 to 500,000 RMB. Certified enterprises can also enjoy tax incentives such as corporate income tax reductions (with tax rates reduced to 15% in some regions). The government procurement support policy for green building materials has been implemented in 101 cities (municipal districts) including Chaoyang District, Beijing.
• Enhance bidding competitiveness: The green building materials certification certificate can be used as a bonus item in project bidding. For municipal projects, three-star building materials can add 5 to 10 points. This helps enhance enterprises' differentiated bidding capabilities and establish a corporate technology and quality brand. Obtaining the green building materials label is a necessary condition for enterprises to participate in major projects, government-invested project tenders, and enter the qualified supplier list of large clients, and serves as a bonus item in bidding.
• Meet green building development needs: With the implementation of the "Green Building Evaluation Standard" (GB/T 50378-2019) and the promotion of green building creation actions, the required proportion of green building materials application in newly built urban buildings continues to increase. As an important part of the building envelope, certified building curtain wall products are more easily accessible to the green building market.
• Respond to dual carbon strategy requirements: Against the backdrop of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, energy and construction have become the main forces in achieving the dual carbon goals. Green building materials product certification requires enterprises to conduct carbon footprint accounting, helping them cope with carbon emission control requirements and plan for low-carbon development in advance.
• Promote international trade: The certification results can serve as a "green passport" for exports. Some standards are internationally recognized, helping to reduce green barriers in export trade. The green building materials label evaluation work is actively participating in international mutual recognition mechanisms, providing authoritative basis for Chinese building materials to go global, including along the Belt and Road Initiative.
• Establish corporate social responsibility image: Passing certification can demonstrate the enterprise's commitments and actions in resource conservation and environmental protection, enhance customer trust, improve brand reputation, and meet consumers' upgrading demand for green building materials.

Applicable Product Scope

The green building materials certification for building curtain walls applies to various types of curtain wall products for buildings, including but not limited to:

• Stick-built curtain walls: exposed frame, hidden frame, semi-hidden frame curtain walls, etc.
• Unitized curtain walls: unitized glass curtain walls, unitized stone curtain walls, etc.
• Point-supported curtain walls: point-supported glass curtain walls, cable curtain walls, truss curtain walls, etc.
• Double-skin curtain walls: ventilated double-skin curtain walls, sealed double-skin curtain walls, etc.
• Photovoltaic curtain walls: BIPV (Building Integrated Photovoltaics) curtain walls.
• Special curtain walls: stone curtain walls, metal curtain walls, terracotta panel curtain walls, artificial panel curtain walls, etc.