According to World Green Building Council, there are a number of features which can make a building ‘green’. These include:
Although VOC is given different priority in different regions, overall lowering VOC emissions is an important green step.
In some countries, there are bans or strict regulations on how much VOC you can emit in a project or as a company.
In general, lowering VOC is a sustainable choice, and when selecting paints and coatings looking for low VOC solutions will be beneficial.
Absolutely!
Paints and coatings typically represent a very low investment in the overall cost of a building, but can be a big contributing factor to a greener building. In fact, for the LEED v4 standard – the cost of paints and coatings, which is typically less than 2% of a building cost, can contribute to as much as 27% of your overall LEED v4 points.
If you are in the starting phase of a building project and have decided to make it as green as possible - congratulations!
To start selecting the right rating tool or standard to follow, you may start investigating through your local builder's council or similar.
Your choice will depend on a number of factors including what region you are in, what climatic conditions your building will operate in and what type of building it is.
In addition, you may have specifications from the owners of the building as to what rating they want the building to have. Standards such as LEED and BREEAM are globally recognised but a country-specific standard might be more appropriate for your project.
The first step is to read up on the standard, and ensure you understand a little bit about it.
To specify paints and coatings for your project jotungbs.com is a great starting place! We have pre-written standard specifications for LEED, and an easy to use product selector to help you navigate in the regionally available paints and coatings that can help you achieve your green building standard easier.
A substantial part of Jotun’s research and development resources are dedicated to developing more sustainable products and technologies. The Jotun GreenSteps program and its five impact reduction areas are always on the innovation agenda:
All Jotun’s EPDs can be found and downloaded on www.epd-norge.no, or simply by searching for regional products on jotungbs.com.
Exposed elements of a building are at risk of damage through impact or wear and tear. This can result in significant and unnecessary materials use and waste generation across the life of a building.
In addition, climate change can significantly accelerate the deterioration of materials used in a building. It is therefore important to consider the impact of climate change and its associated environmental changes on the vulnerable elements within the built environment.
Surfaces coated with highly durable paints and coatings will not need to be repainted as frequently, so the raw materials, energy, and environmental impacts invested in them can be spread out over more time. Thus, higher durability of the coating will not just positively impact its own lifecycle but also that of the whole building.
Green Building Solutions are the easiest way to design, specify, protect and beautify green buildings, worth up to 27% of your certification credits
We’ve made it easier than ever to specify for maximum green building credits with our specification tool
More Product specific Type III EPDs than most global paints and coatings suppliers across flooring, decorative, protective coatings and more
The world is looking to develop green building products for the construction and maintenance of buildings. In this environment, products that meet green standards while proving applied performance and an enhanced return on investment without compromising on design can deliver important benefits.
Green building certification and accreditation is an increasingly important and highly regarded aspect for architects, engineers and owners to consider for the construction and maintenance of properties.
Paints and coatings are one of the most inexpensive building costs on a construction or refurbishment project. In fact, on average only 2% of the costs associated are attributed to these products.