Top Ten Green Products
2008 Product Reports Top Ten Green Products
Top Ten Green Products 2008
The SunCache integral-collector-storage (ICS) solar water heater uses a roof-mounted, water-filled, unpressurized, polyethylene panel and copper heat exchanger to preheat water for domestic use. The relatively inexpensive system captures heat in 50 gallons of noncirculating water stored in a rooftop panel. Harpiris Energy, Corral de Tierra, Calif. www.harpiris.com
Top Ten Green Products 2008
Integrity Block is a compacted-earth block used as a cost-competitive replacement for concrete masonry units. Made from a proprietary dye- and pigment-free soil mix that includes up to 60 percent preconsumer recycled content, Integrity uses 40 percent less energy to produce and meets ASTM C-90 for load-bearing CMUs. Integrity Block, Los Altos, Calif. www.integrityblock.com
Top Ten Green Products 2008
Masonite’s Emerald Safe ‘N Sound solid-core interior doors have wheat-straw particleboard cores, skins made from composite wood, and stiles and rails made from FSC-certified solid wood. The doors reduce sound transmission and do not contain any added urea-formaldehyde. Masonite, Tampa. www.masonite.com
Top Ten Green Products 2008
PolyWhey waterborne-wood finish uses recycled whey protein (a dairy-foods-industry by-product) as a binder. The low-odor coatings contain no toxic heavy metals and have a VOC level less than 180 grams per liter. Vermont Natural Coatings, Hardwick, Vt. www.vermontnaturalcoatings.com
Top Ten Green Products 2008
Produced in living-wage environments, O Ecotextiles are made from 100 percent organic cotton or other sustainably grown fibers, including hemp, silk, and bamboo. The manufacturing process eliminates the use of a range of hazardous substances and produces wastewater safe for aquatic life. O Ecotextiles, Seattle. www.oecotextiles.com
Top Ten Green Products 2008
Smith & Fong offers the first bamboo flooring to carry Forest Stewardship Council certification (see Finishes, page 182). Available under the name PlybooPure, the flooring is also made with a low-emitting, nonformaldehyde polyisocyanurate binder. Smith & Fong, San Francisco. www.plyboo.com
Top Ten Green Products 2008
Agilewaves Resource Monitor provides residential and commercial building owners with real-time data on electricity, gas, and water consumption. Agilewaves can track, store, and analyze temperature, humidity, air quality, and output from PV and solar-water-heating systems, utility costs, and carbon-footprint information and communicate with certain building management systems to actively manage loads based on real time usage. Agilewaves, Palo Alto, Calif. www.agilewaves.com
Top Ten Green Products 2008
Benjamin Moore’s Natura zero-VOC paints and primers contain a proprietary 100 percent acrylic resin. Most zero-VOC paints use colorants containing as much as 150 grams per liter of VOCs, but these use the company’s own zero-VOC colorants. Benjamin Moore, Montvale, N.J. www.benjaminmoore.com
Top Ten Green Products 2008
Rainwater HOG is a modular rainwater storage tank for use in tight spaces. Two versions are available; a potable water tank made from virgin food-grade polyethylene and a non-food-grade tank made with 15 percent recycled content. Each module holds 50 gallons of water that can be used for irrigation, toilets, laundry, or potable water (food-grade tank only). Rainwater HOG, Corte Madera, Calif. www.rainwaterhog.com
Top Ten Green Products 2008
Matrix is an integrated appliance that combines a gas-fired condensing boiler and furnace, condensing demand water heater, and heat-recovery ventilator into a single unit. Matrix claims its advanced heat exchanger is able to reduce gas consumption by 30 percent compared with a conventional system. NTI, New Brunswick, Canada. www.nythermal.com