An online survey of architects conducted by the fifth most popular coatings and specialty building products company, PPG Industries, revealed that demand for clean energy sources for use in building work will significantly increase. 686 qualified U.S. architects were chosen for the survey based on job title, geography, years of experience and size of firm, resulting in ±3.7% precision with 95% confidence level.
The Port Pavilion on Broadway Pier in San Diego features DURANAR(R) VARI-COOL(R) coatings by PPG. In a nationwide survey of architects, PPG coatings ranked second for leadership in coatings sustainability. Duranar VARI-Cool coatings change color depending on the angle from which they are viewed and, compared to conventional metal coatings, help buildings stay cooler and use less energy. (Photography by Zack Benson Photography)
The PPG survey found that U.S. architectural firms were getting a steady volume of work from overseas, especially Canada, Middle East and China.
According to the survey, the number of projects completed has clearly increased in the following countries:
- China from 15% to 30%
- UAE from 8% to 22%
- Canada from 16% to 27%
- Saudi Arabia reported 13%
- India reported 14%
- United Kingdom reported 12%
The survey also focused on whether clean-energy factors will be considered by the architects. 42% used clean-energy generating components and almost 74% plan to implement that in the future. The survey participants believe that the increase in the trend is because of decreasing technology prices and a positive sentiment towards the green revolution.
The architects’ responses for the most essential characteristics for selection of a clean-energy building product would be:
- Product durability
- Life-cycle appraisal
- Certification of product
- Transparency of product
Likewise when they had to choose a building product manufacturer, the architects’ said that they would consider the following:
- Durability of the product
- Customer responsiveness
- Product warranties
- Features of the product
- Technical support
Sources relied upon by the architects for product information was categorized as 86% manufacturer websites, 72% search engines, 63% representatives of the manufacturer and 43% printed binders.
Survey findings also indicated that 25% architects listed PPG as a popular green building company, while the highest rating was for Armstrong with 43%. In the architectural glass manufacturers’ category, PPG was voted by 42% as a sustainability leader and 49% indicated that PPG was a highly preferred architectural glass brand.
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