There are plenty of products that simply aren't efficient, low-emitting, or sustainable. but here are some products that have a lot going for them, but also have some serious flaws.

 

A pedestrian-friendly, walkable community was created in Annapolis, Maryland, making getting around without cars much more feasible. Photo: Dan Burden. Click on image to enlarge.

Free Webcast: LEED Energy Reporting Made Easy: Fulfilling LEED-2009 MPR #6 Tues. Feb. 28, 2012 | 1 p.m. Eastern Time

When the Minimum Program Requirements (MPRs) were introduced in 2009, it quickly became clear that MPR #6 would be perhaps the most controversial and the most difficult to comply with. Under the requirements of MPR #6, certified LEED-2009 projects are committed to sharing whole-building energy and water usage data.

The Army is still going for Gold and Platinum despite recent legislation calling a halt to LEED spending. Fort Carson is piloting net-zero energy, water, and waste--and expects to meet that target by 2020.

Lighter, more fire-resistant, and a better insulator, autoclaved aerated concrete caught on in the rest of the world ages ago. It's taking a lot longer in the U.S. The porous AAC structure comes from being "leavened" with aluminum. Photo: H+H UK

July, 2011 dust storm in Phoenix, Arizona. Photo: Militec, Inc. Click on image to enlarge.

Will environmental product declarations end greenwashing for good? Not so fast. This is Part 3 in our series on transparency. Part 1: Why We Care About Product Transparency Part 2: Why We Need "Nutrition Labels" for Building Products

  This green wall covers the exterior of Whole Foods in Vancouver, BC.

Our pellet stove has DC fans and a kit that allows us to hook it up to a battery to power those fans in the event of a power outage. Photo: Alex Wilson. Click on image to enlarge.

There are more than 20 different standardized tests manufacturers can invoke to "qualify" as a code-accepted weather-resistive barrier (WRB); with our GreenSpec section on WRBs, we've picked just one that we think does the job.

It's not easy being a weather-resistive barrier (WRB): it has to stop liquid water, be tough and not tear, but also be flexible to wrap around building elements. And it often needs to be vapor-permeable to promote drying.

This exterior window shade in Florida blocks most of the solar gain, yet allows some view out. Photo: Alex Wilson. Click on image to enlarge.

BIPV has yet to reach its full potential in the U.S., but a couple companies are giving it a shot. Soltecture's Corium thin-film CIGS BIPV is installed on the company's headquarters in Berlin.

Passive solar design is a key element of creating resilient homes. A passive solar home in Halifax, Vermont. High-SHGC, triple-glazed, south-facing windows were used to improve the direct-gain passive solar performance. Click on image to enlarge.

What's in it? Where was it made? Is the manufacturer socially responsible? These questions about green building products are getting easier to answer. This is Part 1 in our series on transparency. Part 2: Why We Need "Nutrition Labels" for Building Products

Nutrition labels allow shoppers to compare two bags of chips. The transparency movement seeks that level of transparency for building materials. This is Part 2 in our series on transparency. Part 1: Why We Care About Product Transparency Part 3: The End of Greenwashing? Five Myths about Product Transparency