PPG glass requests for LEED documentation up nearly 300 percent since 2007

According to three-year data from PPG’s performance glazings business, one in five requests for LEED documentation support was for commercial buildings, followed by higher education (18 percent), K-12 education (13 percent), and government (11 percent). Institutional buildings and health care facilities accounted for 8 percent and 4 percent of the documentation requests, respectively. In 2010, higher education, government and K-12 education projects generated the most documentation requests, reflecting the well-documented drop in commercial construction activity last year.

Nearly 40 percent of requests came from three states – California (15 percent), Texas (12 percent) and Pennsylvania (10 percent). Other states contributing more than 5 percent of the total were Virginia, North Carolina, New York and Maryland.

James Bogdan, PPG manager, sustainability marketing initiatives, said LEED documentation requests regarding PPG glass grew by 57 percent from 2009 to 2010. “Despite a struggling construction market, most requests were for projects seeking the new construction (NC) platform,” he explained. “The green building market in general saw a 30 percent increase in LEED certification, based on floor area, over the same time frame.”

PPG is among the world’s leading producers of advanced architectural glazings. Since 1999, the company has sold more than 2.9 billion square feet of coated, low-emissivity (low-e) glass, which improves the environmental performance of buildings by transmitting high levels of natural light, while blocking the sun’s heat energy. This reduces reliance on artificial lighting and air conditioning, which can account for 75 percent of energy use in a typical commercial building.

In 2007, PPG also became the first company to earn CRADLE TO CRADLE(R) Certification for its entire collection of architectural glass products. The Cradle to Cradle certification program was developed by McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry (MBDC) to encourage development of products with materials that can be endlessly recycled, as they are in the natural world.

PPG also has the widest range of energy efficient glass types in North America, encompassing solar control, low-e glasses; passive low-e glasses; spectrally selective tinted glasses; ultra-clear, low-iron glass; and coated glass for the collection of solar power.

For information on advanced architectural glazings by PPG, visit www.ppgideascapes.com or call 888-PPG-IDEA (774-4332).

About PPG PPG Industries’ vision is to continue to be the world’s leading coatings and specialty products company. Founded in 1883, the company serves customers in industrial, transportation, consumer products, and construction markets and aftermarkets. With headquarters in Pittsburgh, PPG operates in more than 60 countries around the globe. Sales in 2010 were $13.4 billion. PPG shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange (symbol: PPG). For more information, visit www.ppg.com.

Cradle to Cradle is a registered trademark of MBDC, LLC.