When someone thinks of steel buildings, the first words that probably pop in mind are strong, durable, clean-cut, and solid. What’s just as true but perhaps not as pronounced are steel’s excellent characteristics of being extremely sustainable and eco-friendly as well—in fact, in many ways, more so than any other type of building material.
But, I hear you say, isn’t wood or brick or cement more… well… earthy? And isn’t that supposedly better for the environment? The answer is, perhaps surprisingly, a resounding no. The many advantages of steel include its strength, design capabilities (which in many ways encourage insulation), and durability. Apart from helping with noise reduction and condensation control, the insulation within steel buildings prevents heat from escaping into or out of your building, saving you on electricity expenses and wasted energy—doing both yourself and Mother Nature a big favor.
Especially in recent years, steel homes have nearly become synonymous with the term green buildings. In fact, in the United States real estate market there are several green building rating systems and guidelines currently competing to create the ideal home that healthily sustains both humans and their surrounding environment. Several such widely recognized programs include the LEED Certification, Green Globes, and the Federal Sustainable Buildings Principles.
Keynotes of a steel construction green initiative include Solar Energy Systems (with renewable energy options, and lower electricity costs while saving the environment) and the implementation of LEED points (including recycling of content, low emissivity and reflectivity, rainwater collection). From energy savings and water efficiency to CO2 emissions reduction and improved indoor environment quality, LEED helps transform the built environment into environmental sustainability.
Metal buildings are often constructed with a dedication to saving the environment while reducing energy costs and waste. Solar panels can be easily and seamlessly integrated into standing seam roof systems, an outstanding source of renewable energy. Products are environmentally sustainable and green in nature; the steel used to manufacture the buildings can be made from up to 60% of recycled material. Not only that; once a steel building ends its life-cycle or is no longer of service, 100% of the material can be recycled again.
You can also find steel construction companies that are Energy Star approved—that is, they feature qualified metal roofs that are more reflective of the sun’s rays, thus further reducing the amount of heat transferred into a building. This in turn reduces the amount of energy needed to air-condition the building; Energy Star approved buildings can reduce the structure’s use of peak-hour energy usage up to 40%.
These are just a handful of the ways with which steel construction strives to preserve the environment and ensure a cleaner and more eco-friendly future. By choosing steel construction, you are cooperating to ensure a greener, cleaner tomorrow. The result? You saving money on energy costs, while dramatically lowering your carbon footprint… for which we give a big green thumbs-up!
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