FAIRFAX, VA.—INTUS Windows has become the first One for One giving company in the building industry with the launch of One Window, One Tree. For every window or door purchased, they plant a tree to further offset the structure’s carbon footprint. By 2030 INTUS anticipates they’ll be planting 2 million trees in the United States every single year. This is about the size of 5,000 football fields or one third of Manhattan.
Their new carbon reduction goal is to offset carbon emissions enough to recover the absorption rate of 5 billion trees by 2036. This will be accomplished through their energy-efficient windows and doors and the new tree planting program. INTUS Windows has set out to make a massive positive effect and will be partnering up with park management, community and environmental groups, schools, governments, architects, developers, general contractors, and more to make an even larger impact within communities. The program includes tree planting and reforestation, as well as beautification projects and sustainability education.
To celebrate their new program, One Window, One Tree, the INTUS Team had their first tree planting event near their headquarters in Northern Virginia at Ben Brenman Park on April 5. Allison Silberberg, Mayor of the City of Alexandria, Va. and tree enthusiast, came to thank INTUS for their community work and commitment to the environment. Through a partnership with the volunteer group Tree Stewards, INTUS learned the proper way to plant and care for the trees and planted several dozen American Elms, Scarlet Oaks, Black Gums, and Eastern Red Cedars. In addition to planting one tree for every purchased window, INTUS will be holding these tree planting events on a bi-annual basis. Future events will be open to their clients and the community in the Washington, D.C. area.
Partnership with One Tree Planted
The bulk of the trees for this program will be planted in national and state forests and parks through their partnership with One Tree Planted. Together they will identify areas in need of reforestation that are close to their building projects and that benefit the surrounding environment. INTUS decided to further offset the carbon footprint of their buildings by specifically helping the region where construction takes place. They also advocate for sustainable, energy-efficient, resilient building and design, and have pioneered the U.S. Passive House industry since their inception. The Passive House method of building is not only the most rigorous energy-efficient standard in the world, but also the fastest growing as our society is rapidly realizing the need for substantial change in our wasteful sectors.
As numerous studies have related natural sunlight to better health, higher production, and improved test scores, windows are increasingly prevalent in today’s building design. However, buildings account for nearly 48 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, with conventional windows and doors responsible for 25 to 40 percent of lost heating and cooling energy. To solve this, many architects are opting for high-performing, energy-efficient windows and doors, especially in commercial buildings which tend to waste more energy and have a larger carbon footprint.
Through INTUS’ customizable polymer window and door solutions, it is possible to balance affordability, long-term performance, and secure savings on the ever-rising cost of energy. Polymer window and door assemblies perform two to three times better than aluminum windows, with up to a 40 percent savings, while also reducing sound, increasing interior comfort, and conserving energy. To boot, every window sold results in one tree planted with INTUS.
