Environmental Labelling
The Green Guide to Specification contains environmental information on more than 1200 materials used in buildings (e.g. for external walls, roofs). It summarises their relative environmental impacts using an A+ to E ranking system, where A+ represents the best environmental performance (least environmental impact), and E the worst environmental performance (most environmental impact).
The Green Guide is an integral part of the Code for Sustainable Homes and BREEAM (the BRE Environmental Assessment Method) as the Green Guide ratings are used to quantify the credits awarded within the material section of these assessments. The Green Guide can be accessed via a simple on-line guide at www.thegreenguide.org.uk.
The Green Guide ratings are used to quantify the material credits in BREEAM and the Code for Sustainable Homes. Details of BREEAM and the Code for Sustainable Homes are available online at breeam.org.
Many standard elemental specifications are A+ rated for example the standard external wall specification ‘Brick on outer leaf, insulation, aircrete blockwork innerleaf, cement mortar, plaster, paint’ is A+ rated.
| Building type | Category/Element | |||
| Domestic | Roof Construction | Pitched roof timber construction | ||
| Structurally insulated timber panel system with OSB/3 each side, roofing underlay, counter battens, battens and concrete interlocking tiles | ||||
| Retail | Insulation | Insulation | ||
|
Cavity blown glass wool insulation - density 17kg/m3 | ||||
| Building type | Category | Sub category | Element |
| Industrial | External wall construction | Brick, stone and block work, cavity wall. | Brick or stone block work, cavity wall. |
| Brick on outer leaf, insulation, aircrete, block work, inner leaf, cement mortar, plaster, paint. | |||
Many standard elemental specifications are A rated, these include:
Material
Brick outer leaf, insulation, dense blockwork inner leaf, plasterboard
Aluminium insulated composite cladding, galvanised steel rails, dense blockwork, plasterboard
Internal Walls
Steel/timber stud, plasterboard, wool insulation, paint
Aerated block, plasterboard, paint
Roofing
Flat roof, inverted deck: Galvanised steel deck, asphalt, insulation, paving slabs
Pitched roof: concrete tiles, battens, sarking felt, on timber roof structure with insulation between rafters
Floor Finish
Hardboard sheathing, linoleum
Wool/nylon carpet, natural
fibre underlay