For below-grade applications where moisture resistance and high compressive strength are needed, extruded polystyrene (XPS) and, to a lesser extent, expanded polystyrene (EPS) have long dominated the insulation market. But there are growing concerns both with the brominated flame retardant HBCD used in XPS and EPS and with the global warming potential of the blowing agent used in XPS (see “Polystyrene Insulation: Does It Belong in a Green Building,” EBN Aug. 2009, and “Avoiding the Global Warming Potential of Insulation,” EBN June 2010).

Foamglas building insulation has been made by Pittsburgh Corning since 1937 and is widely used in Europe. For over 60 years, however, it has only been actively marketed in North America for industrial applications. Now Pittsburgh Corning is actively marketing Foamglas for building applications.

Infrared (IR) cameras make the invisible visible: they detect heat in the form of infrared radiation, which we normally can’t see, and convert it to a colorful image that we can view and analyze. Hotter surfaces emit more infrared radiation than cooler surfaces, allowing cameras to convert them to warm colors on screen, in contrast with cooler colors for colder surfaces. IR cameras are valuable tools for assessing building performance, but they are complicated pieces of equipment that require training to get accurate, useful results.

Also known as thermal cameras, thermographic cameras, or thermal imagers, IR cameras consist of a lens, detector, electronics, display, and software, and can vary in price from under $2,000 to over $20,000, depending on features. They typically come with a standard lens that works well at moderate distances, such as low-rise roof eaves, but will also work at shorter distances, such as interior walls. Specialty lenses are also available, including wide-angle lenses used primarily indoors and telephoto lenses that provide detailed views of windows in high-rise buildings, for example.

Pumping uses a tremendous amount of electricity. In looking at efficiency of hydronic heating systems, we have long focused on the fuel used to heat the water being circulated, without paying much attention to pumping energy. Fortunately, that’s beginning to change.

Two of the world’s leading pump manufacturers, Wilo (pronounced “veelo”) from Germany and Grundfos from Denmark, have introduced to North America advanced, high-efficiency, variable-speed, ”smart” pumps that can reduce pumping energy use by over 75%. Wilo offers the Stratos for commercial applications and the Stratos ECO for residential applications. Grundfos offers the Magna line for commercial applications and the Alpha line for residential applications.

GlassX Crystal uses four panes of tempered safety glass that form three separate insulating glazing units (IGUs); these combine to form a single glazing assembly approximately three inches thick (79 mm) and weighing 19.5 lb/ft2 (95 kg/m2). The outermost IGU is filled with low-conductivity argon or krypton gas and contains a suspended prismatic filter that rejects higher-angle sunlight (greater than 40°) but allows low-angle sunlight (less than 35°) to pass through (see diagram). This filter works like a passive solar control system for south-facing windows, keeping out high summer sun to minimize cooling but allowing in low-angle winter sun to aid in heating. The two panes of the middle IGU have low-emissivity (low-e) coatings and are also filled with argon or krypton gas (this middle “IGU” could be thought of as a space between the inner and outer IGUs).

The final, most unusual IGU contains sealed polycarbonate channels encapsulating a salt hydrate phase-change material that stores heat and releases it slowly back into the room. When any material is heated to change its “phase” from solid to liquid, its actual temperature doesn’t change, even though a great deal of “latent heat” is absorbed by the material. Think of melting ice as warmth from the air is added to it, for example; the material can absorb a lot of heat while the temperature stays at about 32°F (0°C).

According to John Tesh, the sales and marketing director at Earthstone, many companies throw away up to 25% of a slab of granite used in making countertops. Earthstone uses these scraps to make its products. “We came up with a patented process that turns that waste into pavers and interior flooring.” Tesh told

EBN. “For lack of a better description, it’s a 50-ton granite ‘cookie cutter,’” he said. All of the material the company collects is turned into product and kept out of landfills. Recently, the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources certified the company as a “granite recycling center.”

Pressure-assist toilets compress air when a sealed vessel refills afterflushing, and that compressed air pushes water at high velocity through the flush valve and into the toilet bowl. These toilets work well, consuming as little as 1.0 gpf (3.8 lpf).

Niagara has taken pressure-assist technology and turned it on its head. Like pressure-assist toilets, the Stealth has an inner tank that fills with water after flushing, but instead of generating pressure in the top of the chamber, the air at the top of this inner tank is pushed through a transfer tube into the trapway, forming a large air bubble that fills about 12 inches of the space between the water in the toilet bowl and the water further down the trap (see diagram). This bubble exerts enough force to raise the water level in the bowl, making the toilet’s “water spot,” or water surface area, comparable to that of a 1.28 gpf model.

Most fiberglass batt insulation is made with phenol formaldehyde or urea-extended phenol formaldehyde to bind the glass fibers together. And though formaldehyde exists naturally at low levels in the atmosphere, it is labeled a known carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).

Formaldehyde emissions from fiberglass are often low enough to pass California 01350 emissions standards (all of CertainTeed’s fiberglass batts are certified through GreenGuard Children & Schools and CA 01350), but in high enough concentrations formaldehyde can negatively impact indoor air quality, as shown by the FEMA trailers contaminated by particleboard held together with formaldehyde-based adhesives (see

Dimensional lumber has defined the “stick-built” home for decades, but bamboo stalks were used for centuries before 2x4s came along. Now a trendy green material, bamboo is angling in on its old turf.

Cali Bamboo, a maker of bamboo flooring and other products since 2004, launched Lumboo, a product line of dimensional bamboo lumber, in March 2010, four years after beginning development of the product. Like other bamboo wood products currently sold, Lumboo is manufactured by gluing strips of bamboo together into a block (see EBN Mar. 2006). According to Jeff Goldberg, Cali Bamboo CEO, the company has not firmly settled on a binder despite the fact that Lumboo is in production, but he said it will probably be phenol-formaldehyde-based and urea-formaldehyde-free.

Modular wiring systems are designed to allow an electrician to simply plug together components of the electrical system before circuit testing rather than spending time on the jobsite wiring every junction and interconnection. These systems are easily configurable and reconfigurable, significantly reducing installation time and churn costs, enabling fast-tracking, and helping to “future-proof” a building. In addition, modular wiring systems facilitate the removal of building wire, simplifying the recovery of copper and preventing the build-up of abandoned cabling in walls. More prevalent in Europe, these quick-connect systems are just starting to gain traction in the North American building industry. Electec, which has been manufacturing modular wiring since the late 1980s, is one of just a few North American manufacturers.

Most modular wiring, like other building wire and cable, is chock-full of hazards, from heavy metals to halogenated flame retardants to plasticizers. When

Revolving doors have two to four wings, and are available in both manual and automatic models. Smaller four-wing models and large automatic two-wing models, which have two smaller wings on either end (like a “y”), provide better seals to the vestibule than do three-wing models. All of these wings collapse outward in case of fire, allowing an unrestricted exit.

Important considerations for selecting a revolving door include size of the building opening, number of people using the entrance per minute, handicapped accessibility, luggage usage, and security or control of access. Manual models are six to ten feet (1.8–3 m) in diameter and are usually the most cost-effective option. They are used for restaurants, banks, universities, libraries, and other buildings where wheelchair access and luggage are not prime concerns. Typically available in three- and four-wing models, these doors can handle 20 to 50 people per minute and use speed reducers that keep the rotations below 8 to 12 per minute (the maximum speed allowable by the National Fire Protection Association), depending on diameter.