Glass Block Blogger

Commercial Glass Block

and LEED Certification
New York, New Jersey, Boston Philadelphia

Glass Block can help architects and building planners design and construct projects that are both inspired and sustainable.

Glass block, made largely from sand and limestone, is 100 percent recyclable, inert, low maintenance, and highly durable. Yet its dynamic relationship with light gives architects the opportunity to create both aesthetically pleasing and energy-efficient spaces.

Indeed, the relationship between daylight and mood, attitude, and performance is well documented. As stated in the Pittsburgh Corning Daylighting White Paper, the Electrical Construction & Maintenance Magazine reported, “The natural light, better air quality and other benefits associated with green building have been credited with improved employee and student health, comfort and productivity.”.

Buildings consume approximately 37 percent of the energy and 68 percent of the electricity produced in the U.S. annually. The need for a well‐thought daylighting strategy becomes, well, plain as day. The Energy Center of Wisconsin conducted an experiment at the Energy Resource Station in Ankeny, Iowa to see if cooling energy could be saved using daylighting design. The results? The lighting and HVAC operating cost savings for the high performance rooms were considerable, and represented a savings of more than 20 percent on operating costs of about $1.13 per square foot.

Daylighting improves worker and student performance, reduces energy consumption and supports sustainable design.

The LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design and construction of high performance green buildings. According to the Pittsburgh Corning LEED Information Document, while the use of no single construction material can earn LEED points, Pittsburgh Corning’s glass block from Eastern Glass Block can be part of an overall strategy to potentially earn points in several categories, such as;

• Energy & Atmosphere
• Prerequisite 2: Minimum Energy Performance
• Credit 1: Optimize Energy Performance
• Materials & Resources
• Credits 2.1 and 2.2: Construction Waste Management
• Credits 3.1 and 3.2: Resource Reuse
• Credits 5.1 and 5.2: Regional Materials
• Indoor Environmental Quality
• Credit 4: Low Emitting Materials
• Credit 8: Daylight and Views
• Innovation & Design
• Credit 1 – up to three points

Architects and designers are looking at ways to improve daylighting in commercial and public space. Better access to daylight helps lower energy costs, support sustainable design and can play a significant role in LEED certification. And with the right daylighting products, architects can also enhance the privacy, physical security and overall ambience of a space.

At Eastern Glass Block, we have over 20 years of experience in residential and commercial installation and design of Glass Block. For more information on the LEED certification and sustainability regarding Glass Block, contact us.