The eternal struggle for contractors: to go green or not green? Profit or purpose? The good news is that with metal panels, eco-friendly building is not only possible but profitable, making the choice a no-brainer. Today’s metal panel systems look great and prove to be incredibly sustainable, enabling homeowners and contractors to reap the benefits of going green.

In fact, in today’s building and design market, increasing energy efficiency while reducing energy and maintenance costs are key drivers for a building design’s overall success. The metal panel market offers a number of products to support sustainability efforts, including recyclable metal roof and wall panels and energy-efficient insulated metal panels. Here we’ll take a look at a few of the key ways in which metal buildings and metal building components support enviro-friendly building.

Longer Lifespans

The documented longer lifespans of metal roofing systems (they can last 40 to 50 years) mean lower instances of re-roofing and repair jobs, thereby reducing energy required from such actions as manufacturing of parts, shipping or even energy expended by crews traveling to and from a jobsite.

Recyclability

Every piece of metal scrap can be recycled. That statement speaks for itself but from an economic standpoint, that equates to reduced jobsite costs since there’s no need to cart away or dispose of unused wood or masonry materials.

Energy Efficiency

According to data from ENERGY STAR, heating and cooling can account for up to 50% or more of a home’s total utility consumption. The use of metal roofing can help with energy efficiency through solar radiation reflection such as with unpainted metal and by increased re-emittance of solar radiation with pre-painted or granular coating metal roofing systems.

As one example, cool metal roofs use coatings with known radiative properties that are specified in order to keep the roof surface temperature lower than it would have been with uncoated or traditional roofing materials during peak sun times.

Sustainability Certification

Metal building materials can be used to help contribute to earning USGBC LEED credits through a number of ways based on the latest LEED v4 categories and criteria, including sustainable sites, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality.

For these reasons and more, metal panels and components lend themselves to the best that sustainable building has to offer, protecting the earth and protecting the bottom line. Visit us at mbci.com to find more resources on how metal building construction can be the smart choice in your next sustainable building project.