Symmons Blog

Symmons Sound Bite: Green Design

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Say “green” today, and almost all Americans will nod and agree that sustainability and environmental consciousness are vital considerations. Green design and sustainability impact the way they live, the products they use, and the manner in which they approach the future. Some, of course, are adamant about energy saving and non-polluting products, while others attempt to balance responsible consumption with concern for the future.

Going Green

A 2015 National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) survey showed that concern over energy consumption and preference for green features has been relatively stable since 2007, with only slight variations in some categories.

In general, the public wants ENERGY STAR® rated features, water saving faucets and fixtures, quality windows and effective insulation. Many of these products, both for home and for commercial use, are regulated by code or mandated by law. New technology allows building products to be more efficient, less toxic and more environmentally friendly than ever before, and recycled, reclaimed and re-purposed materials are trendy, popular and efficient. Green technology has become increasingly important to us at Symmons, starting with our WaterSense compliance.

WaterSense® Compliance

At Symmons, we remain committed to our decades-old goals of craftsmanship, efficiency and service, but we are equally focused on going green.

Eddie Ellard, our West Region Director of Sales, notes that the trend towards going green “has become the norm with all our specifiers going well beyond plumbing products.” He adds, “Our experience has been geared towards flow rates and Watersense compliance.”

The NAHB study shows that 72% of respondents cited water-efficient features as either essential or desirable. Among those features are “big-ticket” items such as solar water heating capability and tankless water heaters.

Symmons Senior Business Development Manager Mary Roscoe echoes Ellard, noting that the company focuses attention on water flow and GPM, but noting that “we do not charge for the different aerators and/or flow restrictors.”

Roscoe believes that the green movement is growing globally, but she also expressed a measure of concern, saying, “Personally, I think if a showerhead flow doesn’t produce enough – a person will stay longer in the shower.” Symmons has been making strides to resolve this concern, starting with testing water flow to reduce consumption without compromising the experience. Finding the appropriate flow rate is an important piece to the water conservation puzzle, and has been a large area of focus in our green strides. We are dedicated to finding a way to give customers the quality they expect from a Symmons product, while also remaining energy conscious.

Worthwhile and Worth the Money

Commitment to green principles is still largely a personal matter, as well as a regional trend, but it continues to trend upward, say the experts. Recycled and alternative materials are much in vogue, but the price point remains a major consideration for many consumers.

In some areas – and that includes plumbing – green is a given, but in terms of other building materials, the emphasis on eco-friendly and sustainable is still in its infancy. Both Ellard and Roscoe agree that some of the most exciting, new aspects of the green movement involve building with recycled materials both nationally and globally. While going green is becoming standard, there are still so many possibilities being developed in the space.

Although we cannot know exactly what the future holds, Symmons plans to be ahead of the curve, both on the home front and in all the other areas we serve. By putting resources into water flow research and creating energy efficient technology, Symmons encourages green design to become a standard for the industry.

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