The Green Puzzle: Putting it All Together
The emergence of third-party, national green rating programs such as LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) and ICC-700 NGBS (National Green Building Standard) is finally allowing sellers to get away from square-foot pricing. Sellers and buyers can point to a reputable third-party appraisal of the home’s ‘green’ attributes to justify a premium price.
The leading green building standards have identified green principles to help determine what products could aid in achieving more green points/credits and higher asking price. A few Green principles are given below:
Green Principle No. 1
A product is green if it improves the indoor air quality or reduces chemical exposure within a home, thereby improving the health of the people who live in it or work on it. (This would include all products that reduce mold because mold can dramatically compromise indoor air quality.)
Products to help you comply include duct seam sealants, green-certified carpet, high-efficiency HVAC air filters, low- or no-VOC materials etc. Most importantly, it includes products that control moisture, air infiltration and mold.
Green Principle No. 2
A product is green if it lowers pressure on the environment through the use of materials that are renewable or “sustainably harvested.”
Products to help comply include any building products with rapidly renewable content.
Green Principle No. 3
A product is green if it reduces the “carbon footprint” of a home. The carbon footprint is based on the amount of carbon dioxide emitted from the home as a result of the energy used to: heat and cool the home over its lifetime, generate power for the home, and/or manufacture its building components.
Products that help comply include CFL lighting, renewable and 100% water-blown spray foam insulation and Energy Star® rated products amongst others.
Product that Helps Meet these Green Principles
ICYNENE LD-R-50™ - the next generation of spray foam insulation helps meet these three Green Principles.
ICYNENE LD-R-50™ is a qualified air barrier and improves Indoor Air Quality by minimizing air infiltration. ICYNENE LD-R-50™ complies with CHPS E.Q. 2.2/Section 01350, which is a test that ensures ICYNENE LD-R-50™ meets the VOC requirements for use in both schools and residential buildings. This compliance also designates ICYNENE LD-R-50™ as an Environmentally Preferable Product (EPP). Builders and homeowners can earn more credits/points by incorporating EPP-designated products in their green building projects.
ICYNENE LD-R-50™ is open cell soft foam insulation responsibly made using rapidly renewable castor oil content. Castor oil’s production process also has very low energy dependence consisting of de-husking and pressing (harvesting is manual) so it lowers environmental impact in many ways.
ICYNENE LD-R-50™ is 100% water blown, HFC and PBDE free and increases the energy performance of buildings, helping reduce the associated greenhouse gas emissions for a lower carbon footprint. And for every 2.2 lbs of castor oil used in place of petroleum-based polyol, there is a reduction of 7.7 lbs of CO2 from the atmosphere.
To learn more about how ICYNENE LD-R-50™ can contribute credits and points towards the leading national green building programs, visit http://www.icynene.com/green-building/
To contact an Icynene Licensed Dealer in your area click here.