by aleida, on November 30th, 2010
BuildingGreen’s Top 10 Green Building Products of 2010
Did you attend Greenbuild this year? It was recently held in Chicago’s sprawling McCormick Center, and was a colossal event that brought together people from various parts of the world. For us, our days there were packed with educational sessions, time on the expo hall, and meetings. I attended eight sessions total, but the one I most looked forward to was Alex Wilson’s. He presented BuildingGreen’s top 10 green building products of 2010.
His brief introduction explained that the products are selected from BuildingGreen’s GreenSpec database, a listing of materials screened via a criteria developed over 18 years of work. As with last year (read about 2009’s top 10 products here), the products were presented in no particular order, but I will number them here for ease of recognition.
- Nyloboards’s NyloDeck – a decking material made from recycled carpet fibers.
- FOAMGLAS Cellular Glass Insulation – an alternative to expanded and extruded polystyrene insulation.
- ARNOLD GLAS’ Ornilux Bird Protection Glass – a bio-mimicry inspired insulated glass sheeting that uses an ultraviolet-reflective coating that is almost undetectable by human eyes but is clearly visible to birds, thus helping to minimize bird deaths due to collisions against glass windows.
- Knoll Inc.’s FSC-Certified Wood Furniture – without a customer request, and except for a few products, Knoll makes its office systems, case goods, and tables using FSC-certified material at no surcharge and at standard lead times.
- Bensonwood’s OBPlus Wall System – an alternative to standard tract home construction.
- Niagra Conservation’s Stealth UHET (ultra-high efficiency toilet) – a 0.8 GPF (gallons per flush) unit that uses an air transfer system to pressurize the bowl’s trapway, essentially creating a vacuum that is quiet but effective upon flushing.
- Wilo’s “Smart” ECM (electronically commutated motor) Pump – an alternative to oversized water circulation pumps, these pumps analyze water demands and adjust their speed accordingly, achieving a 70-90% reduction in water circulation energy.
- Halton’s Heat Recovery Unit (HRU) – used in commercial kitchens, the HRU captures exhaust, cleans it of grease, and harnesses the heat for building reuse. Due to the immense energy savings, the unit’s payback period is between two to five years.
- Xicato Spot Module – an LED alternative to halogen lighting that offers consistent color, a uniform beam, and a longer life than halogen in a size similar to an MR16 lamp.
- Electec’s EZ-Wiring and EZ-Cabling Systems – a “plug and play” option to standard wiring designed for reusability and relocation created without the use of heavy metals or halogens (bromine, chlorine, or fluorine).
To see what BuildingGreen has to say about these products, please read their announcement here.