Environmentally Friendly Moen Faucets
Committed to sustainability, Moen Canada is proud to have contributed to the first LEED-Platinum-rated home in North America. The home, built by Reid's Heritage Homes of Ontario, Canada, is the first single-family detached home to receive LEED-Platinum rating - the highest benchmark in environmental home design.
As part of their mission towards sustainability, Moen Canada contributed a variety of new water-saving faucets and showerheads to the home. Utilizing a new low-flow aerator in the kitchen and lavatory faucets, the Moen fixtures reduced the water flow from 8.3 litres per minute (L/min) to 5.7 L/min, resulting in a 30 percent savings in water. In addition, the showers featured Moen Canada's new Water-Saving Showerheads, which also offer a 30 percent decrease in water usage. While reducing the water consumption, both the faucets and showerheads maintain a consistent water flow that homeowners are accustomed.
"We are very pleased to offer products that produce such significant water savings - all without sacrificing the quality performance homeowners expect," said Tim McDonough, vice president wholesale marketing and brand development, Moen Canada. "And, the Moen products in conjunction with the Rainwater Harvesting system achieved four additional points towards the LEED Platinum certification."
Rating Homes Based on Environmental FactorsThe LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) system was developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). Homes are rated based on a variety of criteria, such as sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, material selection, indoor air quality and innovative design. Each category has a set number of points that can be earned. Based on the total number of points, a building is rated as certified, silver, gold or platinum.
In addition to water-saving products in the kitchens and bathrooms, the home featured solar paneling, a geothermal heating and cooling system and a rainwater harvesting system to provide water for laundry, toilets and dishwashers. Also, sustainable products, such as bamboo flooring, soy-based foam insulation, concrete countertops, carpeting made from recycled pop bottles and low-VOC paints were included.
Costs for Environmentally Freindly HomesWhile the features of the Platinum-rated home added approximately $130,000 to the price of the base model, it is expected to yield $1,149 per year in savings on heating, cooling, water and service. All of Moen Canada's new sustainable products are priced at the same levels as previously designed models.
"We commend builders, such as Reid's Heritage Homes, for their commitment to building a more sustainable future," commented McDonough. "We hope to continue to provide a wealth of green choices to these eco-minded builders to ensure a greener tomorrow."
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