I have a new favorite insulation material. Foamglas® building insulation has been made by Pittsburgh Corning for many decades and is widely used in Europe. For the past decade or two, however, it has only been actively marketed in North America for industrial applications.

Lake Mead, the nation's largest reservoir, which supplies 90% of Las Vegas's water and millions of other residents, shown at about half capacity in 2007. Ken Dewey photo. Click on image to enlarge.

GraniteCrete was used at Asilomar State Beach for durable, but natural-looking pathways and steps. Photo: GraniteCrete. Click on photo to enlarge.

Niagara uses innovative "vacuum-assist" hydraulics to provide an effective, yet super-quiet flush in the Stealth toilet, requiring just 0.8 gallons. By using less water, this toilet saves energy. Photo: Niagara Conservation. Click on image to enlarge

Previously a Burlington Coat Factory, the new community center at 45-51 Park Place, New York, will be a LEED certified space upon completion. Photo: Michael Appleton for The New York Times

There are some significant advantages to urinals when it comes to bathroom maintenance (I won't go into the messy details of splashing that happens when males stand and urinate into a toilet). With ultra-efficient urinals (often called one-pint urinals) and waterless urinals, there are also very significant water savings that are achieved.

Streets in Copenhagen are designed to provide safe access for bicyclists. Photo: Alex Wilson. Click on image to enlarge.

The Grundfos advanced, variable-speed, "smart" pumps for hydronic heating systems can reduce pumping energy use by 80%. Photo: Grundfos USA. Click on image to enlarge.

With careful driving techniques it's possible to significantly exceed the EPA mileage rating for any car. Source: U.S. EPA. Click on image to enlarge.

This Bensonwood home in Alstead, New Hampshire, combines high-tech panelized construction and superb energy performance with simple elegance. Click on image to enlarge.

This retrofit Elkay EZH2O bottle-filling station allows users to either drink from the fountain or fill a bottle. Photo: Elkay. Click on image to enlarge.

The Therma-Stor Santa Fe Max Dry Dual XT is one of the most efficient stand-alone dehumidifiers on the market, with an Energy Factor of 3.75 liters/kWh. Photo: Therma-Stor. Click on image to enlarge.

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has now released several sets of LEED addenda for LEED-EBOM 2009—corrections and changes to the rating system since its official release. The earliest of these start in November 2009, and the latest batch came out in July 2010.

Wasco offers a new high-performance , triple-glazed, dual-low-e skylight that meets the 30-30 requirement for the federal tax credit. Photo: Wasco Products. Click on image to enlarge.