At
Tremco, it's not only about being a part of the "green" movement. It's about staying ahead of the curve.
The Cleveland-based company is creating a photovoltaic roof that is both functional in creating energy and protective of the building's integrity � the latest sustainable product in Tremco's long history.
"Sustainability has become one of the most important subjects in the construction industry, if not the most important," says Deryl Kratzer, Tremco's roofing and building maintenance division president. "If we don't focus constantly on helping our customers meet their sustainability goals, we will lose a competitive advantage that we have built over 80 years. We will also be disrespecting our founding principals."
One of the features of the new solar roof will allow for the removal of the PV module from the protective roof membrane for maintenance and eventual recycling. If developing a useful renewable energy solution isn't green enough, Tremco will offer a "cradle-to-cradle" business model, allowing the leased roof system, at the end of its service life, to be deconstructed, recycled and reused as raw materials for a new roof.
The company's Roofing and Building Maintenance Division received a $1-million grant from the
Third Frontier Advanced Energy Program toward the building-integrated solar project � a global market expected to exceed $1 billion next year.
Tremco (which belongs to parent company RPM Building Solutions Group) employs more than 1,100 internationally. More jobs in Ohio � many of them specialized positions � are expected, Kratzer says.
"We also expect to develop new processes and technologies which will help the system advance the cause of 'green' construction, and have a positive impact both on Ohio's economy and on energy costs for those using the BIPV system," he says.
Source: Deryl Kratzer, TremcoWriter: Colin McEwen