Thermocromex Green Environmental Statement

 Jump to Guide to Earning LEED Credits

Southwest Progressive Enterprises has been the leading provider for Seamless Stone Wall Finishes for over 20 years in North America, South America, Central America and the Caribbean market and is now the exclusive provider for the exterior finish, Thermocromex. Made from natural hydraulic lime (NHL), Thermocromex, contains no VOC’s. It is one of the greenest materials used in construction projects today and is also green by nature, being mainly composed of calcium carbonate and limestone. Calcium carbonate is an essential element to our everyday life and can be found in our food, fertilizer, medicine, as well as the human body.

Thermocromex is environmentally friendly in its production and use. The amount of energy used during the production stage is a quarter of what is needed to produce Portland cement. Consequently, the release of CO2‚ in the atmosphere is reduced considerably. Furthermore, Thermocromex reabsorbs most of the CO2‚ during the curing process, while cement reabsorbs none. The use of Thermocromex avoids 70-75% of the global warming potential of Portland cement.

Thermocromex is also green being recyclable in various ways such as using it as a new aggregate in lime mortars, in fertilizer, and can be used in water purification or hazardous waste treatment. The material longevity of Thermocromex in unsurpassed due to its durability, weather resistance, vapor exchange qualities and has a life cycle of 100 years or more.

Natural hydraulic lime has been used for millenniums and does not pretend, like many other new products on the market, to have suddenly adapted to the sustainability trend of suddenly becoming a “green” product. It has been green ever since its discovery thousands of years ago and will remain green forever.

 

 

THERMOCROMEX™ Guide to Earning LEED® Credits

Southwest Progressive Enterprises’ Thermocromex can make a significant contribution to earning LEED points on any project.  As you pursue LEED Certification, rely on the products and expertise of Southwest Progressive Enterprises.  LEED Certification points are based on the overall building design concept and performance.  Thermocromex assists in attaining points for the categories listed below.  While no one product or material alone can earn LEED credit points, Thermocromex can be used as part of a strategy to earn points in the following 10 LEED credit categories.

 

 

Applicable Qualifying LEED Credits:

Energy & Atmosphere—Credit 1: Optimize Energy Performance

Materials & Resources—Credit 1.1: Building Reuse–Maintain Existing Walls, Floors, and Roof 

Materials & Resources—Credit 1.2: Building Reuse—Maintain Interior Nonstructural Elements

Materials & Resources—Credit 3: Materials Reuse

Materials & Resources—Credit 5: Regional Materials

Indoor Environmental Quality—Credit 4.2: Low Emitting Materials—Paints and Coatings

Indoor Environmental Quality—Credit 7.1: Thermal Comfort—Design

Innovation in Design—Credits 1—1.4: Innovation in Design and/or Exemplary Performance

Regional Priority—Credits 1—4                                                                                           

Total achievable points in these LEED credit categories:                     44 points

 

 

Some of the primary green fundamentals that Thermocromex provides include:

A thermal resistance value (R-value) of 1.02 which not only provides insulation for the building envelope, but also assists in providing a significant percentage improvement over baseline energy performance ratings

Greatly reduces energy costs due to its natural capacity for zero air-infiltration.
Requires little or no maintenance due to its proven durability with a manufacturer’s life-cycle durability of 75—125 years.
No volatile organic compounds (VOCs) ensuring healthy indoor environmental quality.
100% recyclable product which can be crushed and reused for patching and numerous other applications such as being added to improve fertilizer and to facilitate water purification.
Packaged in recyclable bags that are easily processed through traditional waste management programs.
Low density and light-weight which results in reduced structural requirements, reduced material resource consumption, and reduced costs, both in  its production and installation.
Utilization of eco-friendly inorganic pigments which require no re-coloring, reducing costs of frequent repainting.
Uses 75% less energy than cement in its manufacturing process, thereby significantly reducing the amount of CO2 emissions released into the atmosphere.