Mermet and sustainable development

Sustainable construction was born along with the awareness of environmental issues. Therefore, certifications have developed differently according to the type of buildings (new or refurbishment, offices or residential, etc...), countries, regulations…

Among the most widespread environmental certifications, there are BREEAM^® (UK), LEED^® (US) and HQE™ (FR). They do not assess a product in particular but a building as a whole and aim the preserving the environment and the enhancing the comfort and well-being of the occupants. The products used in the construction of a building can contribute to obtaining credits to achieve such certifications.

By controlling the effect, the sun exerts on building, Mermet solar protection fabrics help obtain credits according to various criteria:

• On energy consumption by reducing the use of heating, air conditioning and artificial lighting
• On comfort and well-being of occupants: thermal and visual comfort, glare control, indoor air quality, acoustical performance…

FOCUS ON ENVIRONMENTAL CERTIFICATION

BREEAM^®

Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method - Developed in the United Kingdom by the Building Research Establishment (BRE), it is the most widespread method for assessing the environmental performance of a building. This standard determines the best practices in sustainable design according to 10 criteria: Management – Health & Well-being – Energy – Transport – Water – Materials – Waste – Environment & Ecology – Pollution – Innovation. Depending on the points per criterion met, the building may claim a level of certification: Pass, Good, Very good, Excellent, Outstanding.

LEED®

Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design - North American system of standardization of high environmental quality buildings, created by the US Green Building Council. This certification ensures that the contractor and the designers have made the necessary efforts to reduce the « ecological footprint » of building during and after the construction. LEED® system assesses each phase of the project based on 6 main categories for which credits are assigned: Site – Water – Transport – Materials – Energy – Indoor environment – Innovation. There are four rating levels: Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum.

HQE™

High Environmental Quality - This is not a standard that meets a regulation, but a multi-criteria quality approach. Established in 2002 by the HQE association, owner of the HQE™ trademark, this movement is gradually evolving. The HQE™ certification is the most widely recognised at the European level. An HQE™ building must guarantee an optimal quality of life for its occupants while respecting the environment and ensuring a high level of economic and energy performance. This certification is based on four commitments divided into 14 targets: Sustainable building – Sustainable management - Comfort -  Health.

CERTIFIED PROJECTS WITH MERMET FABRICS

UNOFI OFFICES / FRANCE

200 internal roller blinds with Satiné 5500 LOW E fabric allow an excellent thermal insulation while controlling light and glare.

This HQE™ rated office building, -passport « Excellent »-, combines various technical systems of insulation, heating and energy saving to provide a maximum comfort for users while protecting the environment.

BE OPEN BUILDING / FRANCE

866 ZIP external roller blinds with Satiné 5500 fabric, colour 0101 Grey allow perfect integration with the facades and excellent thermal protection.

Building with a glass facade completely covered with enamelled aluminium tubes, certified NF tertiary buildings approach HQE™ « Excellent », BREEAM “Very good” and labelled Effinergie+, for its excellent energy performance.

PUIG Tower / Spain

860 internal roller blinds with 5500 Métal fabric, coloris 0101 Gris provide excellent glare control and an optimum thermal protection. The colour chosen allow to maintain a comfortable level of natural light and offer greater transparency.

This building has achieved LEED^® Gold certification, an international mark of excellence in energy efficiency that certifies the environmental quality of buildings.

© Photos : Unofi - Pitch Promotion - Agence Fontani - Dubois & Associés - M. Couderette - Griesser - Brenac & Gonzalez und Partner - Sergio Grazia, Stefan Tuchila - Rafael Moneo, Lucho Martial & GCA Aquitectos Asociados - Cortinsa - Puig - Mermet SAS