Buildings that protect the environment
                   Materials for renewable energy
                   Materials for drinking water supply and wastewater treatment
                   Recycling or reusing products at the end of their life-cycle
                   Actively contributing to the development of clean technology


BUILDINGS THAT PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT

Saint-Gobain produces building materials that, once installed, allow far more energy to be saved than was required for their manufacturing. They therefore contribute significantly both to energy savings and to reducing overall emissions of greenhouse gases.

Low-emission double glazing offers three times better thermal insulation than standard double glazing, thanks to an invisible metallic layer applied to one of the two glass panes, which acts as a thermal barrier. (consult saint-gobain-glass.com)

Mineral wool is similarly efficient. It has been calculated that the heating energy saved by insulating an isolated building is equivalent to a thousand times the energy that went into manufacturing the material; the insulated building can avoid CO2 emissions equivalent to more than a hundred times those generated during production. (consult www.isover.com)


In all, 36 million metric tons of CO2 emissions would be avoided if all French residential housing and service-sector business facilities were suitably insulated with mineral wool and double glazing with reinforced thermal insulation.