YPAL – Green Team

Sherwin Williams ProGreen 200 paint was used on the interior of the house. It meets LEED performance standards and has the GreenGuard certification for air quality. ProGreen 200 covers and touches up well. Sherwin Williams Resilience was used on the exterior. It is a new coating that provides early moisture resistance making it possible to paint up to two hours before rain.

Interface FLOR is providing carpet tile that utilizes more than 40% recycled content.  In addition to the recycled content there is less waste with the carpet tile product and the ability to replace a damaged square in the future without replacing an entire room.

LG Hausys’ new Eden Plus line of solid surface materials is environmentally very friendly with 41% recycled content. Most solid surfaces achieve only 10 -12%.  The solid surface will provide a seamless, easy to clean countertop.

Louisville Tile is providing ceramic floor tile for the kitchens and bathrooms with more than 50% recycled content. The tile is manufactured very close to Louisville which also continues to the points for the home.   Ceramic tile is easy to clean and has a long life compared to vinyl when properly maintained.

We are very happy that Sherwin Williams is partnering with us in providing the paint to be used at the project.  In case you didn’t know, “green” paint is more than just a color these days and Sherwin Williams is really focusing on sustainability with their product line and business.  They have implemented EcoVision ™, which is a comprehensive mission to focus on sustainable processes, products and activities.  This includes everything from low VOC paints to using trucks that run on biodiesel fuels.  What a great partner for us to have!

“The young professionals driving this project have allowed the city to hit yet another milestone toward creating a sustainable Louisville” said Geoff White, president of YPAL. “It would not be possible without the generous support of corporations like the UPS Foundation.”

Established in 1951 and based in Atlanta, Ga., The UPS Foundation identifies specific areas where its backing clearly impacts social issues. In support of this strategic approach, The UPS Foundation has identified the following focus areas for giving: non-profit effectiveness, economic and global literacy, encouraging diversity, community safety, and environmental sustainability.

“The UPS Foundation is committed to funding impactful programs that make a difference in our communities – so we are proud to support YPAL’s efforts to build a LEED Habitat house,” said Ken Sternad, president of The UPS Foundation.

When presented with the opportunity to help fund the YPAL Habitat for Humanity LEED House, Hilliard Lyons – an independently owned financial services company and a pillar of the Louisville community since 1854 – was able to combine its long-standing tradition of community support with its ongoing efforts to reduce its impact on the environment.  In recent years, Hilliard Lyons’ corporate offices were designed with an emphasis on minimizing negative environmental impact. For example, the firm used flooring made from recycled tires and selected wall treatments made of bamboo, an easily renewable resource.  Additionally, using simple techniques such as delivering client statements via an electronic delivery system, Hilliard Lyons incorporates green principles in its daily business operations.  Hilliard Lyons is very pleased to support the YPAL Green Initiative and Habitat for Humanity.

Throughout YPAL’s Green Initiative, we have received tremendous support from our members, the community as well as area business. One of those businesses to assist in our efforts is SIGNARAMA Downtown. When SIGNARAMA Downtown awarded their 4th annual Signs of Support grants, YPAL was excited to be named as a recipient of signage along with 19 other area non-profit organizations. YPAL used our grant to purchase our sponsor sign at the build site. YPAL would like to thank SIGNARAMA Downtown for this generous gift and for their continued support of area non-profit organizations. SIGNARAMA Downtown is a strong believer in the power of many to effect change and feels YPAL’s Green Initiative is a worthy cause of support. In fact, SIGNARAMA Downtown has begun their own Green Initiative and is now offering green signage solutions for eco-conscience customers. Additionally SIGNARAMA Downtown is a new member of the USGBC and is hosting an open house at their East Market St. store for the group in August. For more information visit www.signaramadowntown.com.

Mountjoy Chilton Medley LLP knows that going green is not only good for the environment, but it can be good for the bottom line for home owners and commercial property owners who incorporate energy saving features into their housing plans. They’ve been a strong YPAL supporter for years and naturally loved YPAL’s Green Initiative. Our partnerships with companies like MCM and other sponsors realize Louisville’s community and leaders have to have the right mix of smart and soul. MCM can help you minimize your environmental footprint while generating cash and increasing tax savings.

We had some great news this past week on the partnership front, UPS, Louisville’s largest employer and one of its greatest corporate citizens, became a new partner for the YPAL Green Initiative, specifically as a Gold partner for the Habitat House.  If you did not already know, UPS has a history of green initiatives dating back to the 1930s and they take great pride in the environmental initiatives.  One such initiative, the Delivery Information Acquisition Devices, has resulted in creating an electronic record of delivery information (instead of paper files) that saves nearly 90 million sheets of paper each year, which is the equivalent of nearly 7,500 trees.

By Geoff White.

Did you know that Louisville is going to be a hub for some new green jobs in the not so distant future?  One of our partners, GE – Appliances & Lighting has a new product that is proving to be very successful in attracting green consumers.  The product is the GeoSpring Water Heater, which GE – Appliances & Lighting has agreed to donate for this project.  The company has decided that these water heaters are going to be made in Louisville and with it we will see some great new green jobs.  Why is this product so popular that it will result in green jobs in Louisville you ask…well it can cut operating costs by up to 62% and save a consumer $320 a year.  It makes me want to go out and grab one for my house today.

By Geoff White.

Messer Construction is one of the largest contractors in our region.  They build some of the largest and most impressive structures in the area, so when they came to YPAL and said they would be interested in partnering with us on the Habitat House we obviously wanted to listen.  They have been a great help in the making this project a reality.  We have been able to work with some of their project managers with green building experience.  In learning about their commitment to sustainability we also found out that they built Berea College’s Lincoln Hall, which was the first LEED-certified project in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

By Geoff White.

YPAL is very excited to have E.On U.S. as a partner on the Green Initiative.  One really exciting sustainable program it unveiled a few years back is the Green Energy Program.  If a customer elects to participate in the program then for $5 a month, LG&E ensures that 300 kilowatt hours (kWh) of pure renewable energy is delivered onto the Kentucky transmission grid from new renewable energy sources.  This includes facilities, such as the Mother Ann Lee hydroelectric plant on the Kentucky River, and from a growing number of other renewable energy sources, such as wind power and biomass.

By Geoff White