WINDOWS: Pella discusses why they think they are eco-friendly

Yesteday Pella published the following story on why they think you should view them as eco-friendly, and to consider their window and door products for your remodel…

Cutting through the jungle of green building options
? Pella® windows and doors offer green solutions to building professionals and homeowners ?
[11-01-2007]

The children who grew up with the ?Keep America Beautiful? campaign, which encouraged Americans to dispose of trash properly, are now homeowners dreaming of making their own homes beautiful and green. Today?s news headlines and ads bombard consumers with messaging about green products and building practices ? which raises awareness ? yet often adds to confusion.

According to an article in the September 2007 issue of ?Professional Builder,? the definition of green building is ?in the eye of the beholder.? Numerous state, regional and local green building programs exist and currently no one national standard has been established; however, whether designing, building or remodeling a home or business, three points to consider remain constant:

• When working with a building supplier or service provider, consider their commitment to green building.
  Pella?s commitment to environmental stewardship has been firmly rooted in the company?s culture, since 1925. Founder Pete Kuyper?s words in 1950 still live on today:
  ?We recognize our responsibilities as stewards of our natural resources and the environment, and will avoid wasteful or harmful disregard of the environmental effects of our operation.?
  • Many of Pella?s products feature recycled content.
  • Pella strives to purchase lumber from certified suppliers.
  • Scrap wood generated in manufacturing is recycled into wood flour, livestock bedding and landscaping mulch.
  • About 20 percent of glass in Pella products stems from recycled materials. Scrap glass and screen cloth are also recycled.

• Looking for ENERGY STAR®-rated products is a good place to start.
  The ENERGY STAR rating can be found on the most energy efficient products, including appliances, office equipment, lighting, home electronics and windows and doors. Pella is the 2007 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year for Windows.What ENERGY STAR means:
  • Energy efficiency means delivering the same (or more) services for less energy, which helps protect the environment. When we use less energy, power plants don?t need to generate as much, which helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improves air quality. A ?Professional Builder? article reporting results from a recent green building survey noted ?builders said that energy efficiency was somewhat or extremely important to 97 percent of their buyers.? (Source: ?Professional Builder,? housingzone.com, September 2007)
  • Plus, energy efficiency helps the economy by saving consumers and businesses millions of dollars in energy costs.
  • And energy-saving solutions can help reduce energy bills for homeowners and businesses. 
  • Pella offers windows and doors in a variety of energy-efficient designs and materials, including wood, fiberglass and vinyl. Many Pella products meet ENERGY STAR standards for greatest energy efficiency.
  • To keep your home or business warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer, look for Pella products with low U-values, which measure the ability to resist the transfer of heat. Opt for double- or triple-paned glazing options for maximum energy efficiency.

• Improved indoor air quality can be a benefit of green building practices.
  • Indoor air quality can be impacted by a variety of factors, including Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). Vapors from VOCs can contribute to air pollution, which can negatively affect a building?s inhabitants.
  • The September 2007 ?Professional Builder? reported that among builders who emphasize green building, ?88 percent thought indoor air quality was somewhat or extremely important to their buyers.? (Source: ?Professional Builder,? housingzone.com, September 2007) 
  • Unfinished or factory pre-finished or primed Pella windows and doors meet VOC and chemical components limits of Green Seal® Standard GS-11 requirements, paint environmental guidelines set by the independent nonprofit organization Green Seal.
  • To help keep your home or business cleaner and enhance indoor air quality in the process, Pella offers windows and patio doors with window fashions between panes of glass protected from dust and dirt build-up. A university study found windows with traditional room-side blinds collected 200 times more of certain indoor airborne allergens than Pella Designer Series products.*

Future for green is growing
?Green building is neither a trend nor a fad. It?s here to stay,? said Pella Corporation?s Single Family New Construction Marketing Manager Pat O?Brien. ?Gathering and applying the facts about products and services will continue to be important to both building professionals and homeowners as they make green design and purchasing decisions.?

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