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Knauf takes green effort to next level: insulation giant plans state's first 'gold-certified' building.

Article Excerpt
For Knauf Insulation, the paradox was as uncomfortable as fiberglass insulation on bare skin.

The endless bats of insulation churned out by its Shelbyville plant since the 1970s have reduced energy consumption in buildings across the continent--curbing greenhouse gas emissions.

But the energy Knauf uses to make insulation is made by power plants that expel that much more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

So in a rather uncommon move among Indiana manufacturers typically more preoccupied with foreign competition and deteriorating margins, Knauf is seeking relief in the form of environmental investment.

Its research and development facility, destroyed in a fire last year, will be rebuilt to make it 30 percent more energy-efficient than a conventional office building of its size.

It's believed to be the first building in Indiana designed to earn new construction Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design or LEED, "gold certification" from the U.S. Green Building Council.

And at...

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