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Atlanta, GA (November 05, 2005)—
BuildingGreen, Inc., publisher of the GreenSpec® Product Directory and Environmental Building News™, today announced its 2005 selections of the Top-10 Green Building Products. This fourth annual award, announced at the U.S. Green Building Council's Greenbuild Conference in Atlanta, recognizes the most exciting products added to the GreenSpec Directory during the past year (though some products may have been on the market longer).
"Our selections of the Top-10 Green Building Products represent a wide range of product types," noted GreenSpec coeditor Alex Wilson. Three of BuildingGreen's winning products this year save energy, though all three also offer other environmental benefits. Two products save water. Three products are green in part because they are made from recycled waste or biobased material. Rounding out the list are a biodegradable erosion-control mat and a brand-new flooring alternative for commercial buildings. "Most of the Top-10 products this year have multiple environmental attributes," said Wilson.
Several important trends are reflected in the Top-10 selections this year, according to Wilson. "Dual-flush toilets have arrived," he said. The list includes both a residential dual-flush toilet from one of the largest and most respected toilet manufacturers in the world and a commercial flushometer that brings dual-flush technology to commercial, water-line-pressure toilets.
LED lighting is another important development. BuildingGreen has been watching the development of LED lighting, but until white LEDs achieving as high as 50 lumens per watt arrived, the company considered this technology inappropriate for general lighting applications. "Following very rapid advances in recent years, LED lighting is now a viable option," said Wilson.
Responding to consumer demand, manufacturers have been working hard to introduce products that avoid polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and plasticizers, which are increasingly targeted for avoidance due to concerns about endocrine-disrupting effects. "The introduction of a non-PVC polymer composition tile as an alternative to VCT (vinyl composition tile) late in 2005 was a huge breakthrough," according to Wilson.
Another dramatic development during the year was the introduction of a binder for plywood that does not contain formaldehyde--a chemical that was reclassified in 2004 from a "probable human carcinogen" to a "known human carcinogen." Along with avoiding formaldehyde, this new binder is made from a rapidly renewable material (soybeans) rather than petroleum or natural gas. Products from this manufacturer include panels made from chopped straw and wood veneers that are certified according to standards developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).
Finally, 2005 saw the introduction of an ice-based thermal energy storage system that makes off-peak cooling practical for smaller commercial buildings and homes. Until now, making ice at night to provide daytime cooling was limited to large commercial buildings that used chillers. "This is a very significant development," said Wilson, "that will enable utility companies to reduce the use of peaking power plants that are often the most polluting; it will also save a lot of money for building owners who pay electricity demand charges or have time-of-day electricity rates."
BuildingGreen's Top-10 product selections, as in previous years, are drawn from new additions to the company's GreenSpec Product Directory. More than 160 products have been added to the GreenSpec database during the past year. "New products seem to be appearing at an ever-faster pace," said Wilson. The GreenSpec database his company maintains now includes almost 2,000 product listings, representing several times as many actual products.
A big driver in the development of green products continues to be the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED® Rating System (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), which awards points for the use of certain product types or for the energy or water savings that certain green products can achieve. "Designers of LEED buildings are looking for green products, and manufacturers are responding," said Wilson.
The 2005 BuildingGreen Top-10 products are listed below. More complete descriptions and contact information is provided on the attached pages:
Descriptions and manufacturer contact information
- BioNet® Erosion-Control Mats from North American Green
- PureBond™ Hardwood Plywood and Agrifiber-Core Panels from Columbia Forest Products
- Nybacker™ recycled-carpet tile-backer from NYCORE, Inc.
- Stonescape™ from American Biltrite Canada, Ltd.
- Terratex® Biobased Textiles from Interface Fabrics and Carnegie
- Uppercut™ Dual-Flush Flushometer Valve from Sloan Valve Company
- Aquia™ Dual-Flush Toilet from TOTO USA, Inc.
- Ice Bear™ Thermal Energy Storage System from Ice Energy, Inc.
- UltimateAir™ RecoupAerator® 200-DX ERV from Stirling Technology, Inc.
- Enbryten™ LED and Pendant and Downlighting Luminaires from Permlight Products, Inc.
GreenSpec is the leading national directory of green building products. Products are selected by editors of Environmental Building News (EBN) based on criteria developed over the past 14 years. Manufacturers do not pay to be listed in GreenSpec, and neither GreenSpec nor EBN carries advertising; both are supported by users of the information. "Our policy of not accepting money from manufacturers allows us to be objective in our review of products," said Wilson. A new 6th edition of the printed GreenSpec Directory will be published in early 2006. The GreenSpec product database is also available online as part of the BuildingGreen Suite, which is growing quickly in popularity. Environmental Building News, founded in 1992, is the oldest and most widely respected newsletter in the green building field. BuildingGreen, Inc., celebrates its 20th year in business this year. For information on BuildingGreen resources, visit www.BuildingGreen.com or call 800-861-0954.
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2005 BuildingGreenTop-10 Products
Described below are the Top-10 Green Building Products for 2005, selected by the editors of GreenSpec® and Environmental Building News™. These are all products that have been added to GreenSpec during the past year, though some may have been on the market longer. They are listed in the order of their appearance in the CSI organizing framework. There is additional information on these products in the online edition of GreenSpec, which is available by subscription as part of the BuildingGreen Suite (www.BuildingGreen.com).
BioNet Erosion-Control Mats from North American Green
[view GreenSpec listing]
Erosion control is an important issue both on job sites and with ecological restoration projects. North American Green has long been a leader in erosion-control products. Though their 100% biodegradable BioNet® series of erosion-control mats have been around a long time (since 1993), this product was new to the GreenSpec Directory in 2005. BioNet mats have a core of straw or straw and coir (coconut fiber) held by a woven jute netting and stitched with cotton thread. The mats are secured to the ground with biodegradable stakes made of either corn-derived polylactic acid (PLA) or wood. The company also makes erosion-control mats held together with photodegradable polypropylene, but these products are far less biodegradable than the natural fibers used in BioNet.
What makes this product green?
- Agricultural waste material
- Rapidly renewable products
- Reduces pollution or waste from operations
- Reduces construction impacts
LEED Credit relevance:
- SS Prereq. 1 - Erosion and Sedimentation
- MR Credit 6 - Rapidly Renewable Materials
Product information:
North American Green
14649 Highway 41 North
Evansville, IN 47725
Phone: 800-772-2040, 812-867-6632
Fax: 812-867-0247
Media contact:
Lynne Finney, Marketing Manager
North American Green
Phone: 812-867-6632 x315
PureBond Hardwood Plywood and Agrifiber-Core Panels from Columbia Forest Products
[view GreenSpec listing]
Columbia Forest Products, the largest North American manufacturer of hardwood plywood, announced this year a transition to soy-based binders for all of its veneer-core and veneered agrifiber-core panel products. The company's recently branded PureBond™ panels use the soy-based binder in place of the industry-standard urea-formaldehyde, which results in significant emissions of formaldehyde. (Formaldehyde was reclassified in 2004 by the International Agency for Research on Cancer from a "probable human carcinogen" to a "known human carcinogen.") The new binder, developed by scientists at Oregon State University, is 87% soy protein, with the remainder a proprietary petrochemical-based polyamide resin. The new binder is water-based, non-flammable, and nontoxic; water vapor is the only emission during curing, according to Steve Pung of Columbia Forest Products. The switch to this binder has had no effect on product pricing, and all Columbia Forest Products manufacturing facilities are expected to complete this conversion during 2006. The company's agrifiber-core panels are made from straw, a waste agricultural product, and among the wood veneers offered are those that are certified according to Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) standards.
What makes this product green?
- Rapidly renewable product
- Releases minimal pollutants
- Agricultural waste material
- FSC-certified wood
LEED Credit relevance:
- MR Credit 6 - Rapidly Renewable Materials
- MR Credit 7 - Certified Wood
- IEQ Credit 4 - Low-Emitting Materials
Mentioned in EBN: June 2005
Product information:
Columbia Forest Products
222 SW Columbia, Suite 1575
Portland, OR 97201
Toll-free: 800-547-4261
Fax: 503-224-5294
www.columbiaforestproducts.com
Media contact:
John McIsaac, Public Relations Manager
Columbia Forest Products
Phone: 503-937-6305
Nybacker Tile Backer-Board from NYCORE
[view GreenSpec listing]
Discarded carpet is a huge solid waste problem in North America, with more than 2 million tons of carpet entering the waste stream each year. NYCORE, Inc., based in Atlanta, Georgia, produces several products that are made of recycled carpet (both post-consumer and post-industrial recycled material). Nybacker™, is a strong, flexible, tile backer available in 3' x 5', 4' x 4' and 4' x 8' sheets in 1/4" and 1/2" thicknesses. The product is typically laid over CDX plywood. One side of the backerboard has a rough surface with indentations to aid in tile adhesion. The company also manufacturers the roofing product Ny-Slate, and is working on new product introductions in late 2005 and 2006, including a storm board product. Unlike cement-based backer-board, Nybacker does not release silicon dust, which is implicated in the health problem silicosis, when it is cut. Nybacker is comparable in price to cement backerboard.
What makes this product green?
- Post-consumer recycled material
- Post-industrial recycled material
LEED Credit relevance:
- MR Credit 4 - Recycled Content
Product information:
NYCORE, Inc.
200 Galleria Parkway, Suite 2000
Atlanta, GA 30339
Phone: 770-980-0000
Contact:
Marc Herubin, Chief Operating Officer
NYCORE, Inc.
Phone: 770-980-0000
Stonescape Polymer Composition Tile from American Biltrite Canada
[view GreenSpec listing]
Stonescape™, from American Biltrite Canada, is a brand-new, PVC-free alternative to vinyl composition tile (VCT). This resilient flooring tile is made from limestone and ethylene acrylic polymers. Along with being free of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), the tile is free of other halogens and plasticizers, and it emits no volatile organic compounds (VOCs). It is also a much harder material than VCT (2,000 psi vs. less that 300 psi for most VCT) that will require far less regular surface treatment (stripping and waxing) than VCT, according to the manufacturer; this will result in lower VOC emissions. As a new product, Stonescape has little track record to date, though an initial year-long test installation has apparently been very successful.
What makes this product green?
- Alternatives to PVC
Product information and media contact:
American Biltrite Canada, Ltd.
440-B Britannia Road East
Mississauga, Ontario L4Z 1X9
Phone: 905-507-2400
Fax: 905-507-2388
Media contact:
Mark Tickle, Marketing Manager
American Biltrite Canada, Ltd.
905-507-2402 x224
Terratex Biobased Textiles from Interface Fabrics and Carnegie
[view GreenSpec listing]
Terratex® is a family of fabrics designed to minimize environmental impacts and push the envelope with recycled and bio-based material use. The Terratex brand was launched in 1996 with polyester fabrics made from post-consumer and post-industrial recycled PET plastic and from reclaimed wool. In late 2004 the company introduced fabrics made from the bio-based polymer polylactic acid (PLA), which is produced from corn and other agricultural feedstocks by NatureWorks, LLC (previously Cargill-Dow) under the name Ingeo™. Designed primarily as panel fabrics for commercial workstations, Terratex PLA fabrics are now available on workstation panels from Herman Miller, AllSteel, and Teknion, and in September 2005 Carnegie began offering Terratex PLA fabrics under the name INSIGHT™.
What makes this product green?
- Rapidly renewable product
LEED Credit relevance:
- MR Credit 6 - Rapidly Renewable Materials
Product information:
Interface Fabrics Group
18 Pershing Road
West Newton, MA 02465
Phone: 617-641-2322
www.terratex.com
Carnegie
110 N. Centre Avenue
Rockville Centre, NY 11570
516-678-6770
Toll-free: 800-727-6770
Fax: 516-678-6848
www.carnegiefabrics.com
Media contacts:
For Interface Fabrics:
Andrea Loukin
The Loukin Company
838 Union Street
Brooklyn, NY 11215
718-230-8032
andrea.loukin@verizon.net
For Carnegie:
Elyse Corrado, Marketing Director
Phone: 516-678-6770
Fax: 516-678-6848
ecorrado@carnegiefabrics.com
Uppercut Dual-Flush Flushometer Valve from Sloan
[view GreenSpec listing]
While dual-flush technology has been increasingly migrating to gravity-flush toilets, Sloan Valve Company is the first company to introduce this flush option to commercial toilets that rely on water-line pressure. The dual-flush option allows a toilet to operate with a standard flush for solid wastes and a lower-volume flush for liquid wastes and paper. The Sloan Uppercut™ flushometer uses 1.6 gallons when the valve handle is pushed down, or 1.1 gallons when the handle is pulled up. The unit is sold as a complete flushometer or as a retrofit kit for Sloan Royal®, Regal®, and Crown® II and other similar-style manual flushometers. If retrofitted onto older flushvalves that use more water, the savings with the light-flush is about 30%--savings of about 1 gallon for a 3.5-gallon flushometer. The Uppercut handle's metallic silver-ion antimicrobial coating protects against germs, and its green color distinguishes it from standard flush-valve handles.
What makes this product green?
- Conserves water
LEED Credit relevance:
- WE Credit 2 - Innovative Wastewater Technologies
- WE Credit 3 - Water Use Reduction
Mentioned in EBN: September 2005
Product information:
Sloan Valve Company
10500 Seymour Ave.
Franklin Park, IL 60131
Phone: 847-671-4300
Toll-free: 800-982-5839
Fax: 800-477-8329
Media contact:
Jim Allen, Water Conservation Manager
Sloan Valve Company
Phone: 847-671-4300 x5637
jim @sloanvalve.com
Aquia Dual-Flush Toilet from TOTO
[view GreenSpec listing]
TOTO has long been a leader in high-performance, low-flush toilets. In 2005, the company introduced its Aquia™ dual-flush toilet to the North American market. Dual-flush toilets, long popular in Australia, Western Europe, and East Asia, offer two flush options: a standard flush for solid wastes and a lower-volume flush for liquid wastes and paper. The Aquia toilet, a top-selling product in Thailand where it is manufactured, uses 1.6 gallons at the full flush and 0.9 gallons at the low flush. The company estimates that a typical family of four will save approximately 7,000 gallons of water per year with this toilet, compared with a standard 1.6 gallon-per-flush toilet. In terms of flush performance, the toilet successfully removes 800 grams of test media at full flush, based on standardized MaP tests (see Environmental Building News, January 2004). The toilet is offered in six colors.
What makes this product green?
- Conserves water
LEED Credit relevance:
- WE Credit 2 - Innovative Wastewater Technologies
- WE Credit 3 - Water Use Reduction
Mentioned in EBN: November 2005
Product information:
TOTO USA, Inc.
1155 Southern Road
Morrow, GA 30260
Phone: 770-282-8686
Fax: 770-282-8697
Media contact:
Lenora Campos, Public Relations Manager
TOTO USA, Inc.
25 Mercer Street
New York, NY 10013 Phone: 917-237-0665 ext. 104
Fax: 917-237-0654
Ice Bear Thermal Energy Storage System from Ice Energy
[view GreenSpec listing]
Thermal energy storage using ice or chilled water has long been an option for shifting cooling loads to off-peak periods in commercial buildings with chillers. This benefits the utility company by leveling peaks in electricity demand while reducing costs to building owners who pay demand charges or have time-of-day billing rates. In January 2005, Ice Energy, Inc., introduced the Ice Bear™ thermal energy storage system for small commercial buildings and large homes. The Ice Bear 50 uses a standard 5-ton condensing unit at night to freeze about 500 gallons of water in a 6' x 5' x 6', insulated energy storage module. During the daytime, a small electric pump circulates refrigerant through the ice and delivers cold refrigerant to a standard evaporator coil (up to 7.5 tons) and blower in the building to provide cooling. Peak daytime electricity demand and consumption for cooling are reduced by 95%. The Ice Bear 50 is designed for commercial buildings from 2,000 to 150,000 square feet in size that rely on split or packaged refrigerant-based air-conditioning units--especially government and office buildings and retail stores in the "Starbucks to Wal-Mart" size. A smaller Ice Bear 30, specifically designed for mainstream homes, is currently being tested.
What makes this product green?
- Uses energy efficiently
LEED Credit relevance:
- EA Credit 1 - Optimize Energy Performance
Mentioned in EBN: October, 2005
Product information:
Ice Energy, Inc.
9351 Eastman Park Drive
Windsor, CO 80550
Phone: 970-545-3630
Fax: 970-545-3634
Media contact:
Randy Zwetzig, V-P Business Development
Ice Energy, Inc.
Phone: 970-545-3630 x1105
Cell: 970-227-1455
UltimateAir RecoupAerator 200DX Energy-Recovery Ventilator from Stirling Technology
[view GreenSpec listing]
Energy recovery ventilators (ERVs) replace stale indoor air with fresh outdoor air, transferring heat and humidity from the exhaust air to the incoming fresh air. Stirling Technology, Inc., brought ERV design to a new level of controllability and efficiency with the introduction of its UltimateAir™ RecoupAerator® 200DX system. The brushless DC, variable-speed, electronically commutated permanent-magnet (ECPM) motor allows the 200DX to deliver 50 to 200 cfm of airflow very efficiently, even at low flow rates. It also achieves very high (up to 96%) heat-recovery efficiency. Optional features include an economizer module that provides free cooling when outdoor conditions permit, a CO2 sensor for boosting airflow during periods of high occupancy, an automatic pressure sensor that adjusts airflow to maintain a user-set differential pressure, and an integrated HEPA air filtration module. Stirling ERVs are manufactured in Athens, Ohio.
What makes this product green?
- Uses energy efficiently
- Blocks introduction and spread of pollutants
- Removes indoor pollutants
LEED Credit relevance:
- EA Credit 1 - Optimize Energy Performance
- IEQ Credit 1 - CO2 monitoring
- IEA Credit 2 - Increase Ventilation Effectiveness
- IEQ Credit 7 - Thermal Comfort
Mentioned in EBN: December 2004
Product information:
Stirling Technology, Inc.
178 Mill Street
Athens, OH 45701
Phone: 740-594-2277
Toll-free: 800-535-3448
Fax: 740-592-1499
Media Contact:
Craig Kinzelman, Director
Stirling Technology
Phone: 740-594-2277
Enbryten LED Luminaires from Permlight Products
[view GreenSpec listing]
With the introduction of its Enbryten™ luminares using high-efficacy, white LEDs (light-emitting diodes), Permlight Products is helping to usher in the age of LED lighting. LEDs are the only non-incandescent light source that does not rely on mercury vapor; efficacy has increased dramatically in recent years--to over 50 lumens per watt for today's best white LEDs. LEDs also have a very long life: from 30,000 to 50,000 hours. Permlight is using these high-efficacy LEDs in a range of pendant, downlight, and sconce LED luminaires that are being installed in homes and commercial buildings. The Enbryten ENBC series downlight luminaire, for example, can effectively replace a 60-75 watt incandescent luminaire, yet consumes just 15-18 watts. The ability to focus light from LED luminaires can allow such a luminaire to replace an incandescent luminaire that has higher total light output. Enbryten luminaries have replaceable LED modules, allowing easy replacement as needs change or LEDs improve.
What makes this product green?
- Alternatives to other hazardous components (no mercury)
- Reduces energy loads (reduced cooling loads, compared with incandescent lighting)
- Uses energy efficiently
LEED Credit relevance:
- EA Credit 1 - Optimize Energy Performance
Product information:
Permlight Products, Inc..
422 West Sixth Street
Tustin, CA 92780
Phone: 714-508-0729
Fax: 714-508-0920
Contact:
Michael Webb, Marketing Manager
Permlight Products, Inc.
714-508-0729
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