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WHAT IS GREEN?
In recent years, Star, along with the rest of the construction industry has experienced a greater demand for environmentally-friendly, or green, construction solutions. A green building has characteristics that reduce its environmental impact during its life cycle-from construction all the way through to the end of the building's useful life. These green building characteristics are measured against three criteria:
- The environmental impact the building will have now and in the future when considering such factors as energy use, efficient use of space, recyclability, and the materials used for construction, all in an effort to conserve natural resources.
- The economic impact, such as lowering operating costs, enhancing asset value, improving productivity, as well as optimizing lifecycle performance.
- Health and community, through the improvement of air quality, occupant comfort, and overall health conditions.
Various government and private, non-profit agencies recognize green construction efforts through certification programs. The ENERGY STAR program , through the US Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency, and LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Program of the US Green Building Council (USGBC) are two of the construction industry's most sought after certifications.
ENERGY STAR is committed to protecting the environment by certifying and promoting the use of energy-efficient products. Customers using these products help reduce energy consumption, protect the environment and likely save money as a result. Star offers an extensive line of ENERGY STAR-rated cool roof panels.
USGBC's LEED program is designed for building owners and operators. To receive certification through the LEED program, designers, builders and building owners incorporate energy saving strategies throughout the complete cycle of a building, from best construction practices to occupation and the end of the building's useful life. Strategies include choosing environmentally sensitive design, roofing, insulation, delivery methods and other criteria, which earn points toward certification.
The US Green Building Council cites these advantages for building green: - Decrease in a building's cost to operate, including energy savings
- Increase in a building's value, improving ROI
- Improved occupant comfort
- Increase in a building's occupancy capacity
- Increase in potential rent
- Reduction in urban heat island effect and smog
- Mitigation of global warming
Star is a leader in innovation and the delivery of products that meet our customers' current needs and anticipated growth in years to come. Being a part of NCI's network of companies means that Star offers an array of green product solutions that, when used as part of a well-designed building project, measure well against the environmental, economic and health criteria considered for these certifications.
In addition to construction products, Star's manufacturing and distribution centers are part of NCI's hub-and-spoke system, which is another advantage. Our facilities are networked, allowing us to determine the closest manufacturing plants with the capabilities to meet the specifications of a given order. NCI's national coverage enables us to deliver to many job sites within a 500 mile radius, greatly reducing emissions from and fuel used for shipping.
Star is committed to supplying our customers products that support green building programs. In participation with NCI, we will continue to invest in research, development and testing, which will allow us to provide innovative green solutions for our customers and the end users we serve.
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