PGT® Celebrates Earth Day by Partnering with L.E.E.D. Depot to Retrofit and “Green” Chamber South

1950’s era building to become state-of-the-art LEED® certified facility 

MIAMI and VENICE, Fla., April 22, 2009 – In celebration of Earth Day, PGT Industries, a wholly owned subsidiary of PGT, Inc. (NASDAQ: PGTI), announced today that it will partner with L.E.E.D. Depot in its flagship project, the “Greening of Chamber South.”

PGT takes pride in its energy-efficient windows and we are excited to be participating in such an ambitious project,” said Debbie LaPinska, vice president of sales and marketing at PGT. “The new Chamber South building will showcase energy-efficient technology and building products, serving as a model for the industry.”

PGT will showcase products from its commercial Architectural Systems storefront line and its WinGuard® line of impact-resistant windows and doors. PGT distributor Jeff Karlsen, president of Window Professionals, has crews donating their time to install the windows and doors used in the project.

“In addition to the hurricane protection that the PGT products offer, the windows are Energy Star compliant and contain Low-E glass which has a special coating that keeps heat out while letting sun in,” said Karlsen. “It is expected that the building will see a 25% reduction in its energy costs.”

Miami-based L.E.E.D. Depot, a leading provider of LEED consulting, products, as well as building and design services, will be overseeing the modernization and retrofitting of the entire project.

“Our flagship project with Chamber South will demonstrate how to properly retrofit an existing property, make it LEED compliant and put new life into the building through green technologies, processes and products,” said Edward “Ned” Stieglitz, president, L.E.E.D. Depot. “We are excited that PGT Industries is the first major manufacturer to partner with us on the ‘Greening of Chamber South’. There are still other opportunities for ‘green manufactures’ to participate in a partnership in this project.”

Chamber South, the leading business chamber of commerce serving Greater South Miami-Dade County with more than 1,200 business representatives, unveiled the project to its members at its monthly breakfast coinciding with Earth Day. Its president, Mary Scott Russell, is inviting the public to come and see the technology at work and monitor the energy savings as well as other tangible improvements. The “Greening of Chamber South” project is in Partnership with the Dade Community Foundation for the Education of the Broader Business Community and the general public regarding "green" technologies and materials as well as related environmental issues, added Russell.

“We hope that our building will inspire others to conserve and protect our environment,” said Russell. “The Chamber South building will not only showcase the latest in energy-efficient technology, but it will also mark South Miami as a City invested in a more eco-friendly future.”

L.E.E.D. Depot will be broadcasting the “Greening of Chamber South” on YouTube so people interested in following the project can see all the work, effort and technology needed to turn a 1950’s era building into a state-of-the art green and LEED certified facility. The first video is now available and shows the project in the “before”. The project is in the planning stage and will take approximately two months to complete once the work gets started.

The “Greening of Chamber South” includes the following major items to become LEED certified:

  • Solar: solar panels and solar films
  • VOC-Free: paints, sealants and adhesives
  • Lighting: Garper Energy Solutions Ultra-efficient T-5 retrofit fluorescents, LED and fiber optic technologies
  • Flooring: bamboo, palm and “green” carpeting
  • Roofing: Nanotechnology ceramic insulating paint coatings
  • Windows & Doors: ENERGY STAR© certified – provided by PGT
  • Plumbing: new water saving and other green products
  • A/C lower tonnage based on newer windows
  • Cleaning products: green certified VOC-free
  • Waste stream audit
  • Indoor Air Quality management system
  • 5-year Green Plan

About LEED® Certification:
LEED certification is the recognized standard for measuring building sustainability. Achieving LEED certification is the best way for you to demonstrate that your building project is truly "green." The LEED green building rating system -- developed and administered by the U.S. Green Building Council, a Washington D.C.-based, nonprofit coalition of building industry leaders -- is designed to promote design and construction practices that increase profitability while reducing the negative environmental impacts of buildings and improving occupant health

 

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