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2006 BuildingGreenTop-10 Products
Described below are the Top-10 Green Building Products for 2006, selected by the editors of GreenSpec® and Environmental Building News™. These products have either been added to GreenSpec during the past year (though some may have been on the market longer), or covered in Environmental Building News. Additional information on these products is available in the online edition of GreenSpec or Environmental Building News, both of which are available through the subscription-based BuildingGreen Suite (www.BuildingGreen.com).
Polished Concrete System from RetroPlate
[view GreenSpec listing]
Polishing concrete is a relatively new technique for turning both new and old concrete slabs
into attractive, durable, finished floors. RetroPlate™ (from Advanced Floor Products, Inc.) of
Provo, Utah, pioneered this process of grinding, polishing, and chemically hardening (densifying)
concrete in the 1990s, and its system has now been used on more than 100 million square feet of
flooring. The RetroPlate process was developed by combining European stone-grinding and polishing
technology with concrete hardening and densifying agents that had been used in North America. In the
process, large walk-behind diamond-wheel grinders remove between 1/16th and 1/4 inch of the concrete
floor surface. Consecutively finer-grit grinding and polishing wheels achieve a fine polish (up to
3,000-grit). During the polishing process, sodium silicate is applied; this is absorbed and reacts
with the calcium hydroxide in the concrete to form calcium silicate hydrate, which crystallizes
within the concrete matrix. The resultant concrete surface is highly durable, easy to maintain, free
of VOC emissions, and more reflective (which can reduce light level requirements). The system
enables the concrete slab to serve as the finished floor surface, thus reducing material use.
What makes this product green?
- Reduces impacts from construction or demolition
- Reduces heating and cooling loads
- Alternative to hazardous components
- Releases minimal pollutants
- Exceptional durability or low-maintenance
LEED Credit relevance:
- MR Credit 1 - Building Reuse
Product information:
RetroPlate - Advanced Floor Products, Inc.P.O. Box 80533
Provo, UT 84605
Phone: 801-812-3420
Toll-free: 888-942-3144
Fax: 801-812-3400
www.retroplatesystem.com
Media contact:
Vernon Talbot, Managing DirectorRetroPlate - Advanced Floor Products, Inc.
Phone: 801-812-3420
Fax: 801-812-3400
vernon@retroplatesystem.com
Underwater Standing Timber Salvage by Triton Logging
[view GreenSpec listing]
Triton Logging, Inc. harvests underwater standing trees from forests that were submerged
decades ago by reservoirs created by hydroelectric dams. In British Columbia alone, Triton estimates
that there are five billion board feet of salvageable underwater timber, and worldwide the total
could exceed 100 billion board feet. The company uses its proprietary Sawfish™ logging submarine,
which is tethered to a surface ship and controlled remotely. The Sawfish clamps onto a standing
tree, attaches inflatable floats, then cuts the trunk with an electric chainsaw; the tree floats to
the surface where it is processed and loaded onto a barge. Because the trees are cut the reservoir
floor, sediments are not disturbed in the process. The company recovers Douglas fir, western white
pine, lodgepole pine, hemlock, and other species year-round using three Sawfish submarines. All of
the milled wood is certified as SmartWood Rediscovered by the Rainforest Alliance. The company
produces a range of lumber products and is launching a line of glulam beams made from
underwater-salvaged timber.
What makes this product green?
- Salvaged products
LEED Credit relevance:
- MR Credit 3 - Resource Reuse
Product information:
Triton Logging, Inc.6675 Mirah Road
Saanichton, BC V8M1Z4
Phone: 250-652-4033
Fax: 250-483-1955
www.tritonlogging.com
Media contact:
Jim Hayhurst, Vice President of Marketing and CommunicationsTriton Logging, Inc.
Phone: 250-652-4033
jim.hayhurst@tritonlogging.com
SageGlass Tintable Glazing from Sage Electrochromics
[view GreenSpec listing]
SageGlass® is an electronically tintable exterior glazing that provides glare control on
demand while preserving views. Unlike earlier switchable glazing products that degraded with
exposure to UV light, SageGlass is a multi-layer, thin-film tungsten-oxide coating that is as
durable as low-emissivity coatings. The glazing uses 0.28 W/ft2 to switch the glass from clear to
tinted state, a process that takes several minutes, and 0.1 W/ft2 to maintain that tinted state.
Used with typical clear glass in an insulated glazing unit, SageGlass reduces the visible
transmittance from 62% to 3.5% while reducing the solar heat gain coefficient from 0.48 to 0.09.
Sage Electrochromics, Inc. is partnering with numerous window, skylight, and curtainwall
manufacturers to produce both commercial and residential products with this glazing control options;
these products can provide energy savings, control peak electricity demand, enhance comfort, and
potentially result in higher worker productivity. The product is available from such partners as
Velux®, Architectural Wall Systems, Inc., Harmon, Inc., the Vistawall Group, Wausau Window and
Wall Systems, and YKK AP America, Inc. While SageGlass is currently very expensive (increasing the
cost of insulated glass six- to seven-fold), Sage Electrochromics expects the cost to eventually
become competitive with standard high-performance glazing combined with interior mechanized shades.
What makes this product green?
- Building components that reduce heating and cooling loads
- Improves light quality
LEED Credit relevance:
- EA Credit 1 - Optimize Energy Performance
- IEQ Credit 6 - Controllability of Systems
- IEQ Credit 7 - Thermal Comfort
- IEQ Credit 8 - Daylight and Views
Product information:
Sage Electrochromics, Inc.One Sage Way
Faribault, MN 55021
Phone: 507-331-4848
Toll-free: 877-724-3321
Fax: 507-333-0145
www.sage-ec.com
Media Contacts:
Heather WestHeather West Public Relations
612-724-8760
heatherwest@earthlink.net
Lou Podbelski, Vice President Marketing
Sage Electrochromics, Inc.
Phone: 507-331-4935
lpodbelski@sage-ec.com
PaperStone Certified Composite Surface Material from KlipTech Composites
[view GreenSpec listing: Composition Siding]
[view GreenSpec listing: Countertops]
[view GreenSpec listing: Toilet Partitions]
PaperStone™, from KlipTech Composites, is a dense, hard, water-resistant, solid-surface
composite material used for skateboard ramps, countertops, toilet partitions, and exterior
rainscreen siding. It is made from cellulose fiber (paper) and a non-petroleum phenolic resin
derived in part from a natural phenolic oil in the shells of cashews. KlipTech offers two versions
of the product: standard PaperStone contains at least 50% post-consumer recycled paper; the newer
PaperStone Certified has 100% post-consumer recycled paper. The latter product is third-party
certified by SmartWood to carry the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) recycled-content label.
Overall, the product is 60% paper fiber by weight and 40% resin. KlipTech has been producing the
PaperStone rainscreen product (PaperStone XV) exclusively for Starbucks until November, 2006, when
it rolled out the product for broader uses. While PaperStone Certified today includes some
coal-derived phenolic resin, company founder and vice-president Joel Klippert expects to convert to
100% natural resins in 2007.
What makes this product green?
- Post-consumer recycled content
- Rapidly renewable
- FSC-certified wood
- Low-emitting product with no formaldehyde
LEED Credit relevance:
- MR Credit 4 - Recycled Content
- MR Credit 6 - Rapidly Renewable Materials
- IEQ Credit 4 - Low-Emitting Materials
Product information:
KlipTech Composites2999 John Stevens Way
Hoquiam, WA 98550
Phone: 360-538-9815
Fax: 360-538-1510
www.paperstoneproducts.com
Media contact:
Joel Klippert, Founder and Vice-PresidentKlipTech Composites
Phone: 360-538-9815
joel@kliptech.com
Varia and "100 Percent" Recycled-Content Panel Products from 3form, Inc.
[view GreenSpec listing: 100 Percent]
[view GreenSpec listing: Varia]
Two interior panel products from 3form, Inc. offer interior designers a wide range of design
opportunities coupled with recycled content and low emissions. Varia™ is 3form's line of
eye-catching transparent and translucent panels made from its 40% pre-consumer recycled-content
Ecoresin™, which is a copolyester (PETG) that is chemically similar to the PET used in beverage
containers. Some of the Varia products include plant materials—collected by indigenous peoples using
environmentally responsible practices—that impart biophilic design features to the product, helping
building occupants feel more connected to nature. The opaque 3form 100 Percent product is made from
100% post-consumer recycled high-density polyethylene (HDPE). Available in a range of colors and
patterns, 100 Percent is appropriate for such applications as toilet partitions, interior
workstations, and interior trim. The company has recently added UV-inhibitors that make the product
appropriate for outdoor applications. Scientific Certification Systems has certified the recycled
content of 3form Varia and Greenguard Environmental Institute has certified its low emissions;
similar certifications for 3form 100 Percent are expected in 2007.
What makes this product green?
- Post-industrial recycled content
- Post-consumer recycled content
- Does not release significant pollutants into the building
LEED Credit relevance:
- MR Credit 4 - Recycled Content
- EQ Credit 4 - Low-Emitting Materials
Product information:
3form, Inc.
2300 South 2300 West, Suite B
Salt Lake City, UT 84119
Phone: 801-649-2500
Toll-free: 800-726-0126
Fax: 801-649-2699
www.3-form.com
Media contacts:
Jennifer Voros, Marketing Coordinator
3form, Inc.
Phone: 801-649-2592
Cell: 801-641-0808
jen.voros@3-form.com
Recycled-Content Interior Molding from Timbron International
[view GreenSpec listing]
Timbron® International, Inc. produces interior molding in a variety of profiles that
are made from at least 90% recycled polystyrene—75% post-consumer and 15% pre-consumer,
certified by Scientific Certification Systems. (The company claims that the typical
recycled content is 95%-97%.) The product, first introduced in 2000, is made from both
expanded polystyrene packaging foam and high-impact polystyrene from such sources as
compact disc jewel cases; small quantities of a coloring agent, a UV stabilizer, and a
foaming agent; additional flame retardants are not added. Timbron is highly durable,
waterproof, termite-proof, paintable (though also suitable unpainted as white), and fully
workable with carpentry tools. The manufacturer is planning to have third-party VOC
emissions testing conducted and expects Timbron to be certified as non-emitting. While
usable anywhere indoors, the product is especially appropriate for kitchens, bathrooms,
laundry rooms, and basements, where moisture or humidity levels may be high. Timbron is
manufactured in Stockton, California, distributed nationally, and available in more than
1,700 Home Depot stores. Cost is comparable to or slightly higher than finger-jointed
pine.
What makes this product green?
- Post-consumer recycled content
- Pre-consumer recycled content
- Exceptional durability or low maintenance
- Low emitting
LEED Credit relevance:
- MR Credit 4 - Recycled Content
- EQ Credit 4 - Low Emitting Material
Product information:
Timbron International, Inc.1333 North California Avenue, Suite 545
Walnut Creek, CA 94596
Phone: 925-943-1632
Fax: 925-943-1164
www.timbron.com
Media contact:
Heather Gadonniex, Environmental Stewardship RepresentativeTimbron International, Inc.
Phone: 925-943-1632
Cell: 510-333-1815
hgadonniex@timbron.com
Water-Efficient Showerhead with H2Okinetic Technology from Delta
[view GreenSpec listing]
In April 2006, Delta Faucet Company introduced a revolutionary showerhead that
delivers superb performance using just 1.6 gallons of water per minute. Delta worked with
Bowles Fluidics Corporation to develop their H2Okinetic Technology™, which produces
droplets that are fairly large, resulting in good heat retention and body wetting. By
comparison, many low-flow showerheads either create very small droplets or aerate the
water, either of which can allow the water to cool quickly and make showering less
satisfactory. The showerhead is currently available only with a chrome finish, but a
stainless steel model and other designs are coming in early 2007.
What makes this product green?
- Fixtures and equipment that conserve water
- Equipment that conserves energy
LEED Credits:
- WE Credit 3 - Water Use Reduction
Product information:
Delta Faucet Company55 East 111th Street
P.O. Box 40980
Indianapolis, IN 46280
Phone: 317-848-1812
Toll-free: 800-345-3358
Fax: 317-848-0713
www.deltafaucet.com
Media contact:
Emily LinendollGibbs & Soell, Inc.
Phone: 212-697-2600
elinendoll@gibbs-soell.com
WeatherTRAK Smart Irrigation Controls from HydroPoint Data Systems, Inc.
[view GreenSpec listing]
The best option for outdoor landscapes is usually native, climate-appropriate
plantings that do not require irrigation, but where irrigation is required, efficiency is
essential. HydroPoint® Data Systems, Inc. has revolutionized irrigation management in
North America through its WeatherTRAK® irrigation control systems that create watering
schedules based on physical landscape features (soil type, slope, and plantings) as well
as weather data that is beamed wirelessly to the controllers each day. While most
irrigation controllers base water delivery on time-of-day metering, sometimes with
override controls for soil moisture, the WeatherTRAK system uses actual local weather
conditions to examine evapotranspiration (ET) rates and regulate water delivery
accordingly—so that irrigation will occur in the correct amounts and not if rainfall is
occurring or predicted. According to HydroPoint, 60%-65% of urban water use goes to
outdoor irrigation, and 30%-60% of that is wasted. The WeatherTRAK system has been shown
to reduce outdoor water use by up to 59%, according to the Santa Barbara County Water
Agency and reduce non-point source runoff pollution by as much as 71%, according to
various agencies, including the U.S. Bureau of Water Reclamation. Both residential and
commercial WeatherTRAK systems are fully compatible with most irrigation systems, and they
also offer an Internet control unit. The company has partnerships with irrigation
equipment providers The Toro® Company and Irritrol® Systems.
What makes this product green?
- Fixtures and equipment that conserve water
- Reduces stormwater pollution
LEED Credit relevance:
- WE Credit 1 - Water Efficient Landscaping
Product information:
HydroPoint Data Systems, Inc.1726 Corporate Circle
Petaluma, CA 94954
Phone: 800-362-8774
Fax: 707-769-9695
www.weathertrak.com
Media contact:
Caroline Nordahl Brosio, Marketing DirectorHydroPoint Data Systems, Inc.
Phone: 707-285-3243
caroline@hydropoint.com
Coolerado Cooler Advanced, Indirect Evaporative Air Conditioner from Coolerado, LLC
[view GreenSpec listing]
The Coolerado Cooler is a revolutionary air conditioning system that relies on the
evaporation of water (latent heat of vaporization) to cool a space, but its similarity to
standard evaporative coolers, or swamp coolers, is so remote that the company does not
even use the term "evaporative" to describe its product. Conventional (direct) evaporative
coolers cool the air that is blown into the living space by evaporating water into that
air, raising the humidity. Direct-indirect evaporative coolers introduce less moisture,
but still raise humidity. The Coolerado is an all-indirect system that does not add any
moisture. (Because of this, it can be used in some areas of the country that are
inappropriate for direct or direct-indirect evaporative coolers, though it still makes the
most sense in drier areas in the western U.S.) It can be used in series or parallel with
conventional compression-cycle air conditioning, because it won't add moisture and make
the conventional system work harder. The Coolerado R600 delivers four to six tons of
cooling with electricity consumption of 1,200 watts—750 watts if specified with an
electronically commutated motor (ECM). The cooling output depends on the temperature and
humidity of the outside air; in Las Vegas the cooling output in tons will be much greater
than in Boston. The energy efficiency ratio (EER) is 40-plus, according to the company—two
to three times as efficient as the best compression-cycle air conditioners. Water
consumption can be significant; it is comparable to or slightly lower than that of direct
evaporative coolers—as much as 12 gallons per hour at peak load, but typically averaging
about 4 gallons per hour over the cooling season.
What makes this product green?
- Energy savings
LEED Credit relevance:
- EA Credit 1 - Optimize Energy Performance
Product information:
Coolerado, LLC4700 West 60th Ave., Unit 3
Arvada, CO 80003
Phone: 303-375-0878
Fax: 303-375-1693
www.coolerado.com
Media Contact:
Rick Gillan, presidentPhone: 303-375-0878 ext. 105
rickgillar@idalex.com
Renewable Energy Credits from Community Energy, Inc.
Renewable energy credits (RECs), often referred to as "green tags," provide a way for building owners who are unable to install their own renewable energy systems to buy conventional grid power, while also buying the environmental attributes of electricity produced from renewable energy. Buyers of RECs aren't actually getting electrons derived from wind, solar, or other renewable energy sources, but by paying extra for their power—from a fraction of a cent to several cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh)—they are helping to displace conventional grid power and subsidize the further development of renewables. Quantitatively, each renewable energy credit (or certificate) aligns with one megawatt-hour (MWh) of clean, renewable electricity generation. Community Energy, Inc., founded in 1999, is one of the leading North American providers of RECs and one of the few that develops its own renewable energy generation capacity. Community Energy jointly owns the Jersey-Atlantic Wind Farm and the Bear Creek Wind Farm, and has additional wind projects under development in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, and Rocky Mountains. To date the company, which provides RECs under the brand name NewWind Energy®, has sold more than 4 billion kWh of wind energy to 100,000 residential customers and wholesale through marketing arrangements with 18 investor-owned and municipal utility companies.
What makes this product green?
- Renewable Energy
LEED Credit relevance:
- EA Credit 6 - Green Power
Product information:
Community Energy, Inc.150 Strafford Avenue, Suite 210
Wayne, PA 19087
Phone: 610-254-9800
Toll-free: 866-946-3123
Fax: 610-254-9781
www.communityenergy.biz or
Contact:
Paul Copleman, Sales and Marketing Operations ManagerCommunity Energy, Inc.
484-654-0106
paul.copleman@newwindenergy.com
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