Will Composites Firms Take the LEED by Going Green?
More consumers are asking for environmentally friendly product options, and so savvy manufacturers are creating and marketing new green products. A similar trend is growing in the building and construction industry, where an increasing number of architects and building designers are using sustainable materials and methods to achieve LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) building certification, as developed by the U.S. Green Building Council.
During a presentation at COMPOSITES 2010, Kirsten Dangaran, Ph.D., a research scientist at the Ohio BioProducts Innovation Center at The Ohio State University, shared results of a recent survey of 160 architects in Ohio. Nearly 90 percent of them reported their clients were interested in using bio-based, sustainable products.
She and Bob Moffit, a product manager for Ashland Performance Materials, spoke to attendees about the value proposition of eco-friendly composites, providing insight on how composites firms can position those products to resonate with green consumers and green builders.
“People are willing to pay more for green products, but those products must work,” Moffit said. “Also, at some point, you have to market it, and don’t sell just the green aspects—sell the performance aspects, too.” Green building initiatives and eco-friendly organizations can help companies market green products, he said.
Their key messages:
- LEED is a strong driver for use of rapidly renewable building materials.
- Architects and consumers are motivated by energy savings and environmental stewardship.
- There is a huge opportunity, with price-premium potential, for composites manufacturers.
- Don’t sacrifice performance to simply “go green.”
