Page 32 - Demo

KNOW-HOW
Customers ask – Armacell answers
“Can Armaflex products be installed in green building projects?”
Green building certificates have become very important in the con- struction and real-estate sector. This applies both to the erection of new buildings and the renovation of existing ones. Sustainabil-
ity is an aspect which many architects and specifiers take
into account in their invitations to tender as a matter of course. In addition to the ease of installation and tech- nical properties of the building materials used, their environmental compatibility and their energy and economic efficiency also count.
Sustainable buildings not only emit less CO2, they can
also be operated more economically and sold more
profitably. In particular international companies now increasingly strive for green building certification for their
larger construction projects. Alongside the internationally recog- nized BREEAM, LEED, DGNB and HQE certificates, there are numer- ous other public and private initiatives on both a national and inter- national level.
EPDs are the prerequisite for green building certification
Today Armacell is the only manufacturer of elastomeric insulation materials to provide environmental product declarations which are based on an independent life cycle assessment (LCA). Environmental product declarations (EPDs) form the basis for planning green build- ings. They offer a transparent, independent and reproducible analy- sis of the environmental impacts of construction products and give detailed information with sound data and figures.
EPDs are the prerequisite for green building certification and thus part of specifications. In this way the environment-related require- ments for planning the building are managed. In the BREEAM scheme validated LCA and EPD data leads to credits which have a positive impact on the classification of the product. In the LEED, DGNB and HQE programmes too, points can be gathered in various categories by installing Armaflex insulation materials.
Green buildings – the shape of things to come
Over half of the world’s population already lives in towns and cities – the United Nations forecasts that by 2050 it will be more than two thirds. As land becomes scarcer, ever taller buildings are constructed. Buildings are the single largest consumer of raw materials worldwide and the greatest producer of greenhouse gas emissions. In the indus-
ftAll information on the use of Armaflex products in the various green building schemes can be downloaded at www.armacell.com/epd
trial nations the majority of energy flows into the building sector – around 40 % of European energy consumption!
To respond to advancing climate change and meet growing energy needs, it is vital that resources are saved in this sector. Designing buildings with state-of-the-art environmental technology and HVAC equipment is increasingly seen as the way forward for the future. Green building stands for sustainable architecture and the responsi- ble use of resources.
(Georgios Eleftheriadis, Armacell Manager Technical Marketing EMEA)
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SUSTAINABLE
CONSTRUCTION
WITH ARMAFLEX INSULATION
Armacell is the first manufacturer of flexible technical insulation materials to present environmental product declarations (EPDs).