Green is More than Just a Color…

Certified Green and non-toxicAt Coastal Enterprises, green is more than just a color. It’s a vigorous nod toward Earth’s future. As part of an ongoing commitment to environmental health, Precision Board Plus HDU is formulated with eco-friendly, “Green” urethane components, making it Certified Green and Non-Toxic.

Because of this formulation, Precision Board has achieved a certified “Carbon Balance” of 3 to 1 and a “Rapidly Renewable Resource Content” of 23.9%.

This major environmental improvement has also allowed a tighter cell structure which results in more chips and less dust when cutting and machining.

At a Glance Green Facts:

  • Non-Toxic
  • Certified Green
  • Carbon Balance of 3:1
  • More Chips and Less Dust
  • Rapidly Renewable Resource Content of 23.9%

What Does This Mean For Me?

Chips and dust from Precision Board are not harmful to employees working with the material.  We are asked this question a lot by shop foremen and female employees (who plan on getting pregnant).  Precision Board has been tested by an outside lab per the ‘Chronic Health Hazard Requirements’ of ASTM D-4236 and found to be “not hazardous or toxic.” It is also considered not hazardous by the OSHA Hazard Communication Standard (29 CFR 1910, 1200).  More information is available on our Safety Data Sheet (SDS).

Precision Board is formulated with 23.9% Rapidly Renewable Resource Content.  The USGBC defines this as “building materials and products [made] from plants that are typically harvested within a 10-year or shorter cycle.”  Coastal Enterprises shares their goal of reducing “the use and depletion of finite raw materials and long-cycle renewable materials by replacing them with rapidly renewable materials.”

Meeting Green Building Standards

Precision Board Plus also assists in meeting LEED requirements for obtaining USGBC and ICC 700-2008 building credits.

LEED is an internationally recognized green building certification system, providing third-party verification that a building or community is built using strategies aimed at improving performance across all metrics that matter most: energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environment quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts. LEED stands for “Leadership in Energy & Environmental Designs”.

Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), LEED provides building owners and operators a concise framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions.

The ICC 700-2008 National Green Building Standard™ is an ANSI-approved consensus standard that provides criteria for rating the environmental performance of residential buildings including detached and attached single-family, multi-unit and renovation projects. It was developed as a partnership between the National Association of Home Builders and the International Code Council.

Ready to Try Precision Board Plus HDU?

You can request a sample, get a quote or call our experienced technical staff at 800-845-0745.  Be sure to sign up for our newsletter to get a monthly blog roundup packed with tips, tricks and info on Precision Board.

Precision Board HDU: Meeting Green Signage Standards

Did you know that because Precision Board Plus is certified green, and assists in meeting LEED requirements for obtaining USGBC and ICC 700-2008 building credits?

Today’s architects and business/housing planners place a strong focus on the environmental impact, sustainability and energy-efficiency of their designs. These design changes mean material suppliers must constantly be ever-evolving to match the environmental concerns of both designers and consumers alike.

Precision Board Plus has a Certified Rapidly Renewable Resource Content of 23.9% and a Carbon Footprint of 3:1. This means roughly a quarter of each sheet of Precision Board is made up of a rapidly renewable resource. In addition, Precision Board contains absolutely no VOC’s or carcinogens, making it safe in the workplace and eco-friendly.

LEED is an internationally recognized green building certification system, promoting energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environment quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts. LEED stands for “Leadership in Energy & Environmental Designs”, and was developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

The ICC 700-2008 National Green Building Standard™  is an ANSI-approved consensus standard that provides criteria for rating the environmental performance of residential buildings including detached and attached single-family, multi-unit and renovation projects. It was developed as a partnership between the National Association of Home Builders and the International Code Council. To learn more, visit the National Green Building Standard website at  www.nahbgreen.org.

Do you offer a “green signage” option for your customers? What are you waiting for? Request a free sample of certified green Precision Board today!
The William J. Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock, AR, has a LEED Platinum certification and is the first LEED certified Presidential Library.
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Industry Forecast: A Spike In Green Signage

Recently, sign shops have been increasingly interested in the Certified Green aspect of Precision Board Plus HDU. Essentially what we have been hearing is that more and more of their customers are wanting to know what exactly their “green options” are when choosing their sign. We see this as an indicator of the change coming to the sign industry.

With the US economy also starting to improve, a rise in new building construction is on the horizon. State and Federal incentives ensure that building planners have good reason to build an earth-friendly, LEED certified building, (See our previous blog to see why LEED is so important) and naturally, green signs will be the specified standard.

Coastal Enterprises is proud to offer a certified green sign substrate, Precision Board Plus HDU, which assists in meeting LEED requirements for obtaining USGBC and ICC 700 building credits.

Our Green Certifications include:

Certified Carbon Footprint of 3:1 – For every one carbon that it takes to produce Precision Board Plus, 3 carbons are saved throughout its product life.

Certified Rapidly Renewable Resource Content of 23.9% – Roughly a quarter of each sheet of Precision Board Plus HDU is made up of a rapidly renewable resource.

With the way the industry is moving, green signage is fast becoming the standard and not the option. Simply put, providing a green substrate can help to reduce waste, reduce greenhouse gas, conserve energy and assist in meeting LEED requirements necessary for tax rebates and incentives for new buildings & homes.

If you have any additional questions about the green aspect of Precision Board Plus, please call: (800) 845-0745.

Take a look at the world’s first LEED certified parking garage at the Santa Monica Civic Center:

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GSA To Review LEED As Government Standard

A new coalition has been formed to battle strict LEED regulations against the use of certain materials. You may remember our previous blog about LEED’s: LEED Certification: Why It’s Important, and how it is becoming the standard for hundreds of new government and city buildings worldwide.

Recently, 27 building and construction associations formed the American High-Performance Buildings Coalition to support the development of sustainable building standards that will be based on scientific data. This stems from the U.S. Green Building Council’s movement to discourage the use of vinyl in construction.

The coalition, formed on July 18 in Annapolis, MD, comes as the General Services Administration is reviewing whether to continue using LEED as the green building standard for the federal government. Alternative green rating systems include the Green Globes and the Living Building Challenge systems.

Almost 60 members of Congress have sent letters to the GSA asking to reconsider the endorsement of LEED if they do not remove certain anti-chemical provisions. (See the original Plastic News article for additional information.)

The U.S. Green Building Council was started in 1998 and has been involved in over 7,000 projects in the United States and 30 countries. Certifications range from “Certified” to “Platinum”, and are awarded based on points from 5 categories: Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy and Atmosphere, Materials and Resources, and Indoor Environmental Quality.

Taipei 101, also known as the Taipei World Financial Center is the worlds second tallest building, and was awarded LEED Platinum certification, the highest award.

 

 

LEED Certification – Why It’s Important

Many of you are probably already familiar with LEED certification, but for those who aren’t we want to share some insight into exactly what it is, and how to achieve it.

LEED or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design is a certification developed by the U.S. Green Building Council in 2000, and is aimed at promoting practical and measurable “green” building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions. A LEED certification provides independent, third-party verification that a building, home or community was designed and built using strategies aimed at achieving high performance in key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality.

The benefits offered by a LEED certified building include lower operating costs, waste reduction, water conservation, greenhouse gas emission reduction and a healthy and safer building. Many cities offer very beneficial tax rebates, zoning allowances and other incentives to companies that choose to achieve a LEED certification.

Certification is given by the Green Building Certification Institute using the LEED rating system. Buildings are issued a certain amount of LEED points and the total number of points decides which of the four certification levels are granted. All of the points are awarded depending on how the buildings strategies will impact CO2 emissions and also energy efficiency.

While the USGBC does not certify or endorse any specific product, Precision Board Plus assists in meeting LEED requirements for obtaining USGBC and ICC 700 building credits. The ICC 700-2008 National Green Building Standard is a similar standard for rating the environmental performance of residential buildings. Green signage and tooling is becoming more and more of a requirement instead of an option for many customers, and Precision Board Plus, with a rapidly renewable resource content increased from 18.9% to 23.9% and certified Carbon Footprint of 3:1, ensures that our customers will be using the greenest signage and tooling substrate available. Visit our Green Facts page for more info.

The Hearst Tower in New York City, New York is a Gold LEED Certified Building, with over 90% of the structural steel used containing recycled materials.