Enhanced Operations and Process Improvements Lead to Significant Energy and Carbon Savings at Saint-Gobain’s Glass Mat Plant in Charleston, South Carolina

Saint-Gobain North America, through its subsidiary CertainTeed Roofing, has enhanced operational practices and made process improvements at its glass mat facility in Charleston, South Carolina, saving over 16,000 MMBtu of energy (over 4,500 MWh), and saving carbon dioxide emissions equivalent to that of the average gasoline-powered passenger car traveling over two million miles.¹

The project, which was honored as a top sustainability initiative for Saint-Gobain North America in 2023, is part of the company’s continued efforts to implement its global Grow and Impact strategy, which includes ambitious environmental sustainability goals, such as reducing the company’s consumption of energy and achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.

Glass mat is a material composed of short fiberglass filaments that are uniformly distributed and bonded together by a polymer resin. The mat forming process produces a fabric that is strong, stable, and heat-resistant, and is a key component in the production of roofing shingles.

By taking a data-oriented approach, the Charleston plant, which began operations in 1981, gained a holistic understanding of both its processes and how taking a series of small steps can lead to a large impact on its environmental footprint. These steps included adjusting equipment in its dryer loop to increase airflow and lower the necessary temperature for curing glass mat, adjusting the fine tune vacuum settings to improve de-watering of the glass mat before entering the dryer, and working to reduce dryer burner excess air.

“By taking steps to reduce energy use and carbon emissions at our plants, we are embodying our mission to be the leaders in light and sustainable construction” said Carmen Bodden, Vice President and General Manager of CertainTeed Roofing. “I congratulate our Charleston facility on their success. I’m inspired by their collaboration and determination to make the world a better home.”

This project follows several other recent actions taken by the company to solidify its commitment towards sustainability:

• Last month, Saint-Gobain announced that it will save over 10 million gallons of water per year through the installation of smart water submetering systems and other equipment upgrades at its CertainTeed Siding facility in Jackson, Michigan.
• In April, Saint-Gobain achieved Core Living Building Ready designation from the International Living Future Institute for its CertainTeed Innovation Center in Malvern, Pennsylvania.
• In March, Saint-Gobain announced that its CertainTeed Siding business had reduced manufacturing related emissions by 96% at three facilities in the United States.
• In February, Saint-Gobain completed the installation of a heat recovery system at its gypsum facility in Vancouver, British Columbia, which will lead to a 15% reduction in Scope 1 carbon emissions.
• In September 2023, Saint-Gobain signed a 15-year, 100 MW power purchase agreement with TotalEnergies for the purchase of solar power, expected to offset Saint-Gobain North America’s CO2 emissions from electricity by 90,000 metric tons per year.
• In August 2023, Saint-Gobain announced a circular economy initiative in its Ceramics business, where scrap finished goods from its Bryan, Texas facility are sent to other Saint-Gobain Ceramics plants to be reused in production, instead of ending in landfills.

With over 145 manufacturing locations in the United States and Canada, every current and future member of the company’s team plays a vital role in achieving its sustainability goals. A current list of job openings at all Saint-Gobain locations, including in Charleston, can be found on the company’s career website.

About CertainTeed

Through the responsible development of innovative and sustainable building products, CertainTeed, headquartered in Malvern, Pennsylvania, has helped shape the building products industry for more than 115 years. Founded in 1904 as General Roofing Manufacturing Company, the firm’s slogan “Quality Made Certain, Satisfaction Guaranteed,” inspired the name CertainTeed. Today, CertainTeed is a leading North American brand of exterior and interior building products, including roofing, siding, solar, fence, railing, trim, insulation, drywall and ceilings. www.certainteed.com.

About Saint-Gobain

Worldwide leader in light and sustainable construction, Saint-Gobain designs, manufactures and distributes materials and services for the construction and industrial markets. Its integrated solutions for the renovation of public and private buildings, light construction and the decarbonization of construction and industry are developed through a continuous innovation process and provide sustainability and performance. The Group’s commitment is guided by its purpose, “MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER HOME”.

€47.9 billion in sales in 2023 
160,000 employees, locations in 76 countries 
Committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050

¹Data is approximate, based on EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalency Calculator