Editor's Perspective: Top (Green) Products

I've been working for Building Products for the past 16 years, and never imagined a day when the No. 1 product on our annual Top 100 Products list would be a wind turbine. And of the top 20 products on this year's list, which was determined by the number of reader service inquiries we received from readers, 16 save or create energy. To me, these choices signal that green building is no longer a trend and that it's being fully embraced by residential building professionals around the country.

Jean Dimeo Editorial Director

I've been working for Building Products for the past 16 years, and never imagined a day when the No. 1 product on our annual Top 100 Products list would be a wind turbine. And of the top 20 products on this year's list, which was determined by the number of reader service inquiries we received from readers, 16 save or create energy. To me, these choices signal that green building is no longer a trend and that it's being fully embraced by residential building professionals around the country.

In addition to the wind turbine, the top 20 include photovoltaic panels, solar shingles, solar hot water heaters, and tankless water heaters. And there are more of these types of products and other green wares scattered throughout the rest of the list, including spray-foam insulation, structural insulated panels (SIPs), high-efficiency toilets (HETs), LED and compact fluorescent light fixtures, and countertops made of recycled materials. There is even a solar-powered light cap for deck posts!

The list, which features new products and materials shown in Building Products and its sister publications Builder, Custom Home, and Remodeling between October 2007 and October 2008, is so jam packed with green stuff that we could have changed the name of the list to the Top Green Products.

Likewise, I suspect that many winners of our 2009 Most Valuable Product (MVP) Awards, which will be unveiled in the Summer issue, also will be green products, and that our second annual Green Product Award recipients, to be featured in the Fall issue, will draw more entries from manufacturers despite the downturn in the housing market and the economy.

One other Top 100 category that scored a lot of attention from readers also has a lot to do with energy: standby generators, which operate the home's electrical systems, equipment, appliances, and lighting during a power outage.

Based on this year's top picks, I can't wait to see the exciting products that make up the 2010 Top 100 list. Like the University of Connecticut women's basketball team that wins the national championship year after year, can you say, "Repeat?"

And if you're hungry for even more information about sustainable products, technologies, designs, projects, and news about the latest green trends, programs, and legislation, visit the Web site of our sister publication EcoHome at www.ecohomemagazine.com.