AGG - 2007 - October/November/December

Volume 21, Issue 4 - October/November/December 2007

Metal Matters
Architectural Aluminum LEEDs the Way
by Henry Taylor

Do you know all the ways architectural aluminum products can help achieve LEED certification?

Renewable Energy
Architectural aluminum products can earn points in this category in a variety of ways. For Credit 1: Optimizing Energy Performance, the use of sunshades, light shelves and thermally-broken products can reduce solar heat gain, maximize daylighting and cut heat loss, ultimately reducing overall energy requirements and expenditures. Because artificial lighting is the single largest energy end use in commercial buildings, these strategies can make a significant difference in the performance of a project.

For Credit 2: On-site Renewable Energy, architects can specify products and systems that incorporate photovoltaic (PV) cells, which can supplement renewable energy to the building. These PV cells can now be found in curtainwall systems, sunshades and more.

Materials and Resources
The environmental benefits of recycled aluminum make it an excellent option for the LEED materials and resources category. Credits 4.1 and 4.2 award points if the total recycled content of a project constitutes at least 10 percent (Credit 4.1) or 20 percent (Credit 4.2) of the total value of the materials. Because aluminum is 100 percent recyclable, it can be reprocessed repeatedly with no loss of quality. The result is an end product with a large amount of recycled content.

The purpose of Credits 5.1 and 5.2, regional materials, is to encourage support for the regional economy and reduce the environmental impact resulting from transportation. Using materials/products that have been manufactured within 500 miles of the project site can earn points if those materials account for 10 percent (Credit 5.1) or 20 percent (Credit 5.2) of the total material value. Architectural aluminum manufacturers often can fulfill these requirements.

Indoor Environmental Air Quality
Architectural aluminum products can make a significant impact in the category of indoor environmental air quality, specifically in the areas of Increased Ventilation (Credit 2), Controllability of Systems: Thermal Comfort (Credit 6.2) and Daylight and Views: 75 percent, 90 percent of Spaces (Credits 8.1, 8.2). Operable windows and casual ventilation devices lend to increased ventilation and system controllability, while thermal products further promote comfort and control. The use of light shelves, sloped glazing, skylights and other glazed elements maximize daylight and views, which have also been shown to increase comfort and productivity of occupants.

Innovation & Design Process
Credit 1.1 Innovation in Design provides the opportunity to earn points for exceptional and/or innovative performance above LEED requirements. The use of architectural aluminum products with solvent-free powder coat paints could contribute to LEED credit by providing substantiation that the finish is a low-emitting material, resulting in improved air quality with no negative environmental impact.

Go Green
The “green revolution” might be more appropriately called the “LEED revolution.” Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating system is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings.

For new-construction projects, LEED recognizes performance in the following categories: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, indoor environmental quality and innovation and design. A project must meet all prerequisites and achieve a specified number of points to be a viable candidate for certification.

Henry Taylor is architectural services team leader for Kawneer Co. Inc. Mr. Taylor’s opinions are solely his own and not necessarily those of this magazine.