Green Building
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Wausau supports your green building projects and sustainable design goals with innovative products and decades of experience, housed in our LEED® Silver manufacturing center.

If you have a project pursuing LEED certification, we have the team, and accredited professionals, to help.  Click here to download our chart describing Wausau’s contributions to LEED credits.

For more than 40 years, we have developed window and curtainwall products for energy efficiency, durability, daylight and views. Click to explore our Energy Modeling Tool and AAMA’s Condensation Resistance Factor Tool.

Optimizing these attributes, we also offer sun shades and light shelves, as well as integrate photovoltaic systems, dynamic glazing and more.

All of our aluminum products may be specified with high percentage of recycled material and no-VOC finishes.

To learn more:

  1. Take Wausau’s AIA/CES online course on “Curtainwalls: Products, Performance and Practicalities
  2. Take Wausau’s AIA/CES online course on “Window Selection for Sustainability and Long-Term Performance
  3. Take Wausau’s AIA/CES online course on “Balcony Door Systems
  4. Take Wausau’s AIA/CES online course on "Protective Window Design"
  5. Explore Wausau’s “Energy Modeling Tool
  6. Read Wausau’s “Building Integrated Photo-Voltaics (BIPV)” eNewsletter
  7. Visit Linetec’s website
  8. Read Wausau’s “Recycled Aluminum Framing” eNewsletter
  9. Download Wausau’s “ Green Building” brochure [PDF]
Tour our LEED® Silver Wausau Manufacturing Center in person or by video , or read about its sustainable design features.


LEED® 2009 (Version 3) and LEED v4.0 for BUILDING DESIGN and CONSTRUCTION
– NEW CONSTRUCTION and MAJOR RENOVATIONS –
Wausau’s Windows and Curtainwall Contribution to Credits

Credit Category

Credits Impacted by Wausau Products

Commentary

Integrative Process (IP)

IPc1 LEED v4.0 only
Integrative Process

Available as an online support resource at www.wausauwindow.com, Wausau’s Energy Modeling Tool provides comparative building energy performance - annual energy use, peak demand, carbon emissions, daylight, glare and condensation – to optimize product selection. (Tool developed by the University of Minnesota Center for Sustainable Building Research. Simulations use COMFEN from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s Windows and Daylighting Group.)

Location and Transportation (LT)

No direct impact

 

Sustainable Sites (SS)

No direct impact

 

Water Efficiency (WE)

No direct impact

 

Energy and Atmosphere (EA)

1 Optimize Energy Performance

 

 

 

2 On-Site Renewable Energy

Wausau’s products have long-standing recognition as some of the industry’s best in energy performance. Combined with Viracon’s high-performance glass, the “right” windows are always available for your building type and climate zone, including our extensive triple-glazed-capable product offering.

Wausau Window and Wall Systems® INvent.PLUS™ operable and fixed windows offer European benchmark thermal performance, but with clean styling and narrow sightlines attuned to U.S. architectural preferences. Innovative composite framing design creates an American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA) AW Class architectural window series with best-in-class R6 fixed and R5 operable performance. No-compromise product selection is made possible by a unique combination of 45% aluminum extrusions and 55% engineered polymers (by volume).

Wausau’s SuperWall™-XLT Series curtainwall incorporates composite fiberglass pressure plates for lower U-Factor and better condensation resistance, which is ideal for cold climates and high-humidity applications such as hospitals.

Photovoltaic panels generate renewable electrical energy directly from sunlight, and can be readily integrated into building façades and skylights. Wausau was a pioneer in development of building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) façade systems in the U.S. Wausau SuperWall has been UL-listed as a BIPV system for several projects, and Wausau holds U.S. Patent # 6,646,196 B2 “Window Structure with Photovoltaic Panel.”

Materials and Resources (MR)

1.1 Building Re-Use - 75% and 1.2 95%

4.1 Recycled Content 10% and 4.2 20%

Wausau provides a complete line of replacement windows and panning for historic renovations, energy upgrades and buildings’ re-use. The Custom Window™ by Wausau brand is recognized nationally for its historically accurate windows utilizing true-divided lite muntin grids. These windows are well suited for application in tax-credit-eligible historic districts, buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places, or wherever thoughtful restoration is a design goal. Wausau SEAL™ interior accessory windows also improve sound, energy, air and light control when existing single-glazed windows are left in place.

Wausau products are fabricated from aluminum extrusions containing LEED-defined “combined” post-consumer and post-industrial recycled content of 42% to 69%. Glass, steel and hardware components also contain high percentages of recycled or recyclable content.

MRc2 LEED v4.0 only
Building Product Disclosure and Optimization – Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs)

MRc3 LEED v4.0 only
Building Product Disclosure and Optimization – Sourcing of Raw Material

MRc4 LEED v4.0 only
Building Product Disclosure and Optimization – Material Ingredients

Pending revisions to the joint industry EarthSure PCR 30171600 “Window Product Category Rule (PCR)” for generation of manufacturer-specific EPDs, Wausau can provide industry-wide generic environmental profiles from www.quartzproject.org for anodized and PVDF-coated aluminum curtainwall extrusions, EPDM curtainwall seal gaskets and laminated glass. In some cases, EPDs for insulating glass units may also be available from the glass fabricator.
 
Note on Source: The Quartz Common Products Database is an open database of composition, health hazard and environmental impact data for building products, sponsored by the Healthy Building Network®, thinkstep®, Google® and Flux®.
 
Wausau’s engineered windows, curtainwall, daylight control systems and accessories vary in composition and materials to meet each project’s functional and aesthetic needs. For product selection purposes, a general self-declared Wausau Product Transparency Report is available, which lists ingredients used across all products and available options, with full disclosure of known hazards as identified in the Pharos online database. Pharos is a project of the Healthy Building Network, and is the tool employed by The Health Products Collaborative™ to generate Health Products Declarations.

Indoor Environmental Quality (EQ)

2 Increased Ventilation

4.1 Low-Emitting Materials –
Adhesives and Sealants

6.2 Controllability of Systems –
Thermal Comfort

7.2 Thermal Comfort-Design

8.1 Daylight and Views 75% and 8.2 90%

Operable windows can be part of an effective natural ventilation strategy, when applied using the recommendations in the Carbon Trust “Good Practice Guide 237”[1998] and ASHRAE 62.1-2004. Wausau structurally glazed, operable window products such as INvent™ Series 4250i-VX, Visuline™ Series, and Zero-Sightline Series can provide “no-sag” performance even for oversized vents.
 
All primers, structural glazing adhesives and metal-to-metal sealants recommended by Wausau for use on-site meet applicable volatile organic content (VOC) limits defined by the South Coast Air Quality Management District’s (SCAQMD’s) Rule #1168.
 
Occupant-controlled operable windows may be used in lieu of comfort controls, as outlined in ASHRAE 62.1-2004.
 
Wausau’s products have long-standing recognition as some of the industry’s best in energy performance.  Combined with Viracon’s high-performance glass, the “right” windows are always available for your building type and climate zone are always, including our extensive triple-glazed-capable product offering. When applied per ASHRAE Standard 55-2017 “Thermal Comfort for Human Occupancy.” Wausau’s window and curtainwall systems utilizing frame thermal barriers and warm-edge insulating glass can increase “mean radiant temperature” perceived by building occupants, compared to lower-performing systems. The low air infiltration of Wausau’s AAMA AW Class-rated windows helps keep drafts to a minimum.
 
Most of Wausau’s products are available with between-glass Venetian blinds. In addition, Wausau ClearStory™ sun shades and light shelves help optimize natural daylighting and provide quality views without introducing glare or excessive heat gain.

Innovation and Design Process (ID)

1.1 thru 1.4 Innovation in Design

Wausau’s design engineers always are available via email and video conferencing for custom window and curtainwall consultations, charettes and analyses. Wausau designs and fabricates hundreds of new extrusion die profiles annually, while offering Autodesk SEEK Revit™ models for standard products and project-specific Building Information Modeling (BIM). LEED Green Associates are on staff at Wausau to make your sustainable design vision a reality.

Wausau engineers and fabricates most major projects at our LEED-Silver manufacturing center in Wausau, Wisconsin. In partnership with design teams, we continually strive to add value and improve upon previous success through efficient, environmentally responsible, health-conscious practices and protocols.

Chart updated August 2014 to include LEED v4.0.  Note: Schools and healthcare facilities may have supplemental requirements and/or credit opportunities. Disclaimer: Wausau Window and Wall Systems takes no responsibility for product selection or application, including, but not limited to, compliance with building codes, safety codes, laws, merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose; and further disclaims all liability for the use, in whole or in part, of the information contained herein in preparation of project specifications and/or other documents.  This information and the products described are subject to change at any time, without notice, and at Wausau’s sole discretion. “INvent,” “Visuline,” “INvent.PLUS,” “SuperWall,” “Custom Window” and “ClearStory” are trademarks of Apogee Wausau Group. All rights reserved. © 2018 Apogee Wausau Group.

   
NOTES:

1. LEED 2009 EQ Credit 4.2 “Low-Emitting Materials – Paints and Coatings” specifically exempts factory baked-on finishes such as fluropolymer, acrylic enamel and urethane paints. Residual VOC solvent content of these products is typically less than 0.3% after curing, hence they are considered to have a negligible effect on indoor air quality.

2. LEED 2009 MR Credits 5.1 and 5.2 “Regional Materials – 10% or 20% Extracted, Processed and Manufactured Regionally” were revised in LEED® Version 2.2., to eliminate credit for any material that is not extracted or recovered within 500 miles of the site. Since the bauxite mined to make aluminum is 100% imported, no primary aluminum framing material qualifies.aluminum used by Wausau’s Midwestern extruder-partners, including Apogee sibling company Tubelite Inc., is cast into secondary extrusion billet in several locations. Most of these cast houses are within 500 miles of Wausau, Wisconsin, and if the job site is also within 500 miles, framing fabricated from recycled aluminum may help projects qualify for LEED 2009 MR Credits 5.1 and 5.2 “Regional Materials.” Raw material sourcing requirements, options and credit calculations were revised and updated considerably in LEED v4.0. Contact Wausau’s LEED GAs for detailed sourcing data. There are certain unusual situations where glass or other infills may help contribute. More information is available at www.viracon.com.