However ubiquitous “green construction” might seem, it’s still in its infancy, says Mike LeJeune, CEO of Fabcon, the Savage-based manufacturer of precast concrete walls for commercial buildings. Citing his company’s research, LeJeune says only 2 percent of commercial buildings constructed in the United States this year will be LEED (leadership in energy and environmental design) certified. By next year, that figure will be 10–12 percent.
But the learning curve is equally steep. LeJeune sees a knowledge gap that needs to be closed between architects, who are on the “cutting edge” and the best informed about LEED requirements; the developers and contractors who lag them; and the subcontractors and suppliers who are “probably dead last.” He says his own company, with several LEED-educated engineers on staff, still wrestles with complex variables that can mean a precast concrete panel earns 10 LEED points on one building, but on another similar-seeming building only earns 3 LEED points for the project. Smaller suppliers who don’t have in-house expertise are at a greater disadvantage.
As more of them catch up and develop a base of green construction knowledge, LeJeune expects two big changes in the next few years: a dramatic increase in companies offering green building products, and the disappearance of premium pricing for green products as competition grows.
In anticipation of trends Fabcon is projecting, the company replaced its entire line of standard concrete panels with its VersaCore Green line (made with 58 percent recycled materials) three years ago, and made no price change, CEO Mike LeJeune says. In May this year, Fabcon released a new product, VersaCore Emerald, that is even greener, substituting a porous and lightweight slag byproduct from steel mills for the rock in its concrete. That increased the recycled content to 68 percent and created better insulation.
The Emerald product sells at a premium price for now. But LeJeune says that as Fabcon makes more of it, “hopefully the volume of this ‘expanded slag’ that we buy will allow us to get a better price” and make VersaCore Emerald Fabcon’s standard product.
—D. L.
