Kawneer C2C Certified Architectural Aluminum Building Products
Manufactured at California Plant Using Renewable Energy Source
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.–Alcoa, an early adopter of Cradle-to-Cradle (C2C) certification for its
Kawneer architectural aluminum products, joined in the launch of the Green
Products Innovation Institute (GPII), which took place yesterday at
Google’s campus in Mountain View, California. The GPII is a nonprofit
organization founded on the C2C program and principles defined by
architect William McDonough and chemist Dr. Michael Braungart.
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger delivered the opening remarks
at the inauguration of the Institute, which will be based in San
Francisco.
C2C certification gives global manufacturers across industries a way to
verify and market their products’ sustainability attributes and
demonstrate environmental leadership. It takes into account five
criteria across the creation of a product: material health, material
reutilization, renewable energy use, water stewardship and social
responsibility.
Today’s event marked the establishment of a new organization devoted to
the C2C framework. MBDC, (McDonough, Braungart Design Chemistry), a
consultancy organization, transformed industry by creating a design
paradigm in 2005 in which materials are perpetually circulated in closed
loops, which maximizes material values without damaging the ecosystem.
Alcoa’s Kawneer business grasped the environmentally-intelligent design
concept for several of its architectural aluminum building products and
was on hand at the event to support the launch of the new Institute.
“Sustainability is at the heart of Kawneer’s product line, which is made
up of aluminum, one of the earth’s most recyclable metals. C2C provides
an important framework for selecting materials that are environmentally
responsible. Several Kawneer products that are C2C certified are
manufactured at our Visalia, California, plant using a renewable energy
source – solar power,” said Eddie Bugg, Director, Sustainable Solutions
for Kawneer.
Kawneer’s Visalia plant features a 588,000-watt, roof mounted
photovoltaic (PV) solar-power system. In addition, more than 200 solar
light tubes were installed to provide further daylighting and reduce
energy cost.
The following Kawneer products, which have been C2C certified Silver
since 2008, maximize energy savings, while reducing energy demand:
-
InLighten® Light Shelf reflects sunlight deep into the interior
of a building by bouncing natural light up to the ceiling. Composed of
an extruded aluminum chassis system and lightweight Aluminum Composite
Material panel surfaces, the InLighten® Light Shelf is installed as an
extension to the curtain wall. The assembled light shelf elements
reduce requirements for perimeter artificial lighting and conserving
electrical energy costs. -
Kawneer’s 1600 SunShade® can assist in achieving maximum
daylighting while minimizing direct sunlight penetration and solar
heat gain. 1600 SunShade® provides a variety of texture and design
elements, which can be combined multiple ways for greater aesthetic
versatility. It is pre-engineered and easily assembled, helping save
installation time and money. -
1600 Wall System®1 and 1600 Wall System®2 provide
reliability with versatile features. Both are stick-fabricated,
pressure glazed curtain walls for low-to-mid-rise applications and
designed to be used independently or as an integrated system to
provide visual impact for almost any type of building.
About Alcoa
Alcoa (NYSE:AA) is the world’s leading producer
of primary aluminum, fabricated aluminum and alumina. In addition to
inventing the modern-day aluminum industry, Alcoa innovation has been
behind major milestones in the aerospace, automotive, packaging,
building and construction, commercial transportation, consumer
electronics and industrial markets over the past 120 years. Among the
solutions Alcoa markets are flat-rolled products, hard alloy extrusions,
and forgings, as well as Alcoa® wheels, fastening systems, precision and
investment castings, and building systems in addition to its expertise
in other light metals such as titanium and nickel-based super alloys.
Sustainability is an integral part of Alcoa’s operating practices and
the product design and engineering it provides to customers. Alcoa has
been a member of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for eight
consecutive years and approximately 75 percent of all of the aluminum
ever produced since 1888 is still in active use today. Alcoa employs
approximately 59,000 people in 31 countries across the world. More
information can be found at www.alcoa.com.
About Kawneer
With more than 100 years of innovation and
experience, Kawneer North America is headquartered in Norcross, GA, and
is the leading manufacturer of architectural aluminum products and
systems for the commercial construction industry. Kawneer is part of
Alcoa’s global Building and Construction Systems (BCS) business unit.
Alcoa BCS manufactures and markets architectural systems and products in
North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Alcoa is the world’s
leading producer and manager of primary aluminum, and alumina
facilities, and is active in all major aspects of the industry. For more
information on Kawneer or its products, please visit www.kawneer.com.