Save Money and Make Your Business Sustainable


An ETFE Roof has Many Ecological and Financial Benefits for a Business or Home

Copyright © 2012 Robert Reeve; All rights reserved; content may not be copied, rewritten, or republished without written permission.

 

ETFE roofs at the Eden Project; photo courtesy Mistermoe




For businesses large and small, there is a continuing quest to make operations more eco-friendly and sustainable as part of the growing clamor to be a leader in social responsibility.

In many cases, running a more sustainable operation means that there are also significant money savings to be made. What are the best options available to both large and small businesses, which will reduce their carbon footprint as well as make their bottom line look healthier?

What is ETFE?

One of the growing trends in building design is that of the >ETFE roof. As well as being prominent in many modern designs, the understanding of the impact an this material can have on a business has seen it become a highly sought after solution by many business owners.

Whether it is building their own premises or renting a commercial property, ensuring the building has an ETFE roof can lead to many ecological and financial benefits for a business.

The scientific name of this material is ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (making it obvious why we use the acronym). It’s a fluorine-based plastic compound which was engineered to support a high degree of high corrosion resistance and strength over a broad range of temperatures.

It is classified as a polymer and boasts a very high melting temperature, as well as excellent chemical, electrical, and high energy radiation resistance.

Benefits of Using an ETFE Roof

  • It is cheaper and greener construction than glass, as well as weighing only 1% of the equivalent area of glass, meaning other environmentally damaging construction materials do not need to be used as much in supporting the roof structure.

  • It has much higher levels of light transmission than glass, meaning the building can benefit from much lower lighting costs — both an environmental and financial plus!

  • It acts as a natural insulator for a building, so similar to the last point, a building will see their heating usage and subsequent bills reduced massively. With most heat from buildings lost through the roof, this could well be the answer you need.

  • Owners of small business are often paralyzed by the feeling that they are unable to have any wide impact on the overall environment; however by choosing a premises with an ETFE roof they will be doing exactly that. The financial benefits also associated with ETFE roofing can also be a huge incentive to new businesses looking to reduce costs.

Green Alternatives

There are other many widely used alternatives that business owners can use to save money. Building a premises, or renting one, with one of these roofs is not always possible, so what are the other options available?

  • Use radiant barrier foil or paint where possible. It will protect your building from the heat in the summer and keep the heat in during the winter.

  • Cut down carbon emissions caused by journeys to and from work — are any of your team members able to work from home? Can they car-pool? Even considering a property with an this type of roof, do you need a centralized work location at all?

  • Use energy monitoring and saving appliances throughout your business to reduce usage and costs.

  • Ensure that you recycle as much as possible.

By carrying out these small, simple, yet massively effective steps, you can potentially save your business a lot of money moving forward.

Try to affiliate yourself with an environmental awareness group or another that produces certifications, so you can build your credibility as an environmentally aware and friendly business, while all the time continuing to grow profits.

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