Leed Credits

Firestone Tire Center goes for LEED Gold

Posted in Leed Credits by |December 18, 2009

Firestone_metal_solarWe knew certain car companies were getting in on the eco-friendliness but we hadn’t heard about tire companies… until now!

A Firestone tire/auto care center in Smyrna, Tenn. has been awarded Gold Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program.

According to Motor Age,

The outlet, which opened in June, incorporates a range of natural-resource conservation features, including improved indoor air quality from the use of low-VOC paints, stains, carpets and sealants; ultra-low flow water fixtures that will reduce H2O consumption by 30 percent; solar panels that generate 12.5 percent of the building’s electricity; a reflective metal roof that lowers heating and cooling costs; sidewalks using recycled rubber from tires; and landscaping that doesn’t need a sprinkler system because recycled rubber tire mulch has been applied to the landscaped areas along with and native and drought tolerant plant species.

Recycled rubber tire mulch?! That’s some incredible work they did on that store. It’s good to see businesses becoming more environmentally aware; it sets a good example for people who utilize those businesses.

Did you notice what else they installed? Firestone went with a reflective metal roof to lower energy bills and solar panels to provide some additional energy savings. Not a bad idea at all. We at Green is Global would like to congratulate Firestone for having the self-awareness to go green and achieve LEED Gold on their new corporate addition!

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Metal Roofing Stands Apart for LEED 2009 Credits

Posted in Leed Credits by |July 29, 2009

metal-roof-leed-certified“Green” Standing Seam Metal Roofing is an extremely versatile product for installation on residential and commercial properties, as well as contemporary and historic buildings. Often overlooked, are the environmental benefits of this type of roof application.

Thanks to Leedblogger.com we have put together a list of LEED credits available for installing a Cool Metal Roof.

Specifically Applicable LEED 2009 Credits:

SS 7.2 Heat Island Effect: Roof – High albedo metal roofing can significantly contribute to the 75 requirement of this credit.

MR 4.1/4.2 Recycled Content: 10%/20% – Metal roofing can contain a high percentage of recycled content, assisting in total RC totals.

MR 2.1/2.2 Construction Waste Management: Divert 50%/75% from Disposal – Any excess material is easily recycled, elevating the percentage of recycled construction waste.

MR 5.2/5.2 Regional Materials: 10% / 20% – Properly purchased metal materials assists in the regional materials credit.

MR 1.1 Building Reuse: Maintain Existing Walls, Floors and Roof – Depending on age, it may be possible to reuse the actual roofing material but, given the longer useful life of a properly maintained metal roof vs. a traditional roof, the roof decking may be in better condition.

Other Sustainable Benefits:

There are many benefits that, while not directly related to LEED, should be considered from a sustainability perspective.  Did you know metal roofing materials generally have a warranty of 50 years and over time have the lowest cost of ownership of any roof? Secondly, at the end of this longer useful life, the roofing materials are more easily recycled than traditional materials.

If you’re going green, do you have all your roofing needs COVERED?

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