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Whether driven by a desire to promote environmental stewardship or by mandates and regulations, more of your clients are asking about solutions that are “green”. As an architect, nobody knows more than you do that “green” has become a buzzword with very little meaning. Otherwise, we would name our company “Green Nanotechnology Outside-the-Box Paradigm Shifting Synergism” Window Films rather than XO™ ARMOR Security Window Films. Let’s look at some facts about window films and USGBC, LEED-EB, and ENERGY STAR:
ENERGY STAR |
ENERGY STAR is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy promoting energy efficient products and practices. However, To be eligible for the ENERGY STAR, products must be rated, certified, and labeled for both U-Factor and Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) in accordance with the procedures of the National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC). Because of this regulatory language, the ENERGY STAR applies only the complete finished window unit tested making window films technically ineligible for the ENERGY STAR. Through changes in legislation and the acceptance in 2006 by the NFRC to certify window films, we are hopeful this regulatory loophole can be remedied. With that said, however, two points are worthy of consideration in context of ENERGY STAR:
- XO™ ARMOR can meet the SHGC criteria set forth by the ENERGY STAR program . Therefore, if your client has windows that meet the U-Factor requirements they can have performance equivalent to ENERGY STAR without the cost and inconvenience of window replacement. Please contact us for a free U-value evaluation of your client’s existing windows.
- XO™ ARMOR can exceed the financial payback offered by many ENERGY STAR appliances – XO™ ARMOR typically returning your client’s investment in less than 3 years (some as little as one year). Let XO™ ARMOR determine the financial payback for your client’s application.
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USGBC |
As an organization, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is a non-profit organization composed of more than 15,000 organizations from across the building industry committed to expanding sustainable building practices.
It is the Mission of the USGBC to “transform the way buildings and communities are designed, built and operated, enabling an environmentally and socially responsible, healthy, and prosperous environment that improves the quality of life”
As the U.S. Department of Energy has created ENERGY STAR to guide the public into a better understanding of energy efficiency, the USGBC has created LEED (see below) to guide its members into a better understanding of sustainability and “green building” design practices. |
LEED-EB |
The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System® was created by the USGBC to define integrated “green building” design practices and stimulate green competition.
XO™ ARMOR recommends a thorough review of the LEED-EB (Existing Buildings) guide but offers the following broad-based description of LEED-EB and opportunities for XO™ ARMOR to earn LEED points:
- Improving energy performance of your building
- Increasing daylighting of interior spaces by removing existing very dark shiny tint and replacing with lighter (even clear) heat control films
- Reducing glare on certain elevations through the use of appropriate glare-reducing films
- Increasing the life of furnishings and floorings
- Improving ‘comfort ratings’ by making people near windows more comfortable
To establish your EPA ENERGY STAR Statement of Energy Performance please contact your sales representative or XO™ ARMOR or click EPA_SEP@xoarmor.com.
To obtain copies of the LEED-EB guides, click on http://www.usgbc.org/Store/PublicationsList.aspx. |
These potential LEED credits apply to proposed buildings and systems that meet minimum energy efficiency levels established by ASHRAE/IESNA via EPA ENERGY STAR. EPA Ratings of 63 or greater may have even more LEED-EB credits available.
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