The latest news, information, and resources on building products, including spotlights on new and innovative product introductions, green building coverage, and tech highlights. This month: Top 10 Green Building Products; Clever Control From Lutron; Changes Coming to Energy Star; Wireless Run-Through; Stain-Resistant Decking Hits the Market; and more.
Green Products
Against the backdrop of a booming sustainable building movement, BuildingGreen announced the winners of its annual Top 10 Green Building Products. Selected by the editors of the GreenSpec Directory and Environmental Building News, two leading green publications, the winners represent a breadth of product types and green attributes, and they stood out from more than 200 products added to the GreenSpec database in 2007. Check out the rest of the list at www.buildinggreen.com.
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| Alpen Energy Group. These high-performance fiberglass windows use a combination of suspended low-E Heat Mirror films, low-E coatings, low-iron glass, low-conductivity gas fill, pultruded fiberglass frames insulated in vacuum silica aerogel packets, and low-conductivity glazing spacers to provide 13/8-inch-thick windows with a range of properties to meet different needs. The majority of the company's products are used in projects in which different glazings are used for different wall orientations. 800-882-4466. www.alpeneg.com. | Bosch. The 800 series SHE98M line of Evolution dishwashers features the most energy efficient and quietest full-size dishwashers available in the U.S., according to BuildingGreen. The SHE98M model is rated at 190 kWh per year of electricity consumption, has an Energy Factor of 1.14 (148 percent higher than the federal standard and 73 percent higher than the Energy Star requirement), and a noise level of 42 dBA. The dishwasher is also available in the Integra line as the SMX98M model. 800-944-2904. www.boschappliances.com. | Caroma. The Cube3 Ultra is an ultra-low-flush urinal that flushes using just 1 pint of water, one-eighth of the water used by standard 1-gpf urinals. It features a bowl that is optimized for very low water use and a liquid-sensing (as opposed to motion-sensing) automatic flush mechanism that prevents false flushes. The high-gloss vitreous china surface minimizes staining and improves sanitation and cleaning. 800-605-4218. www.caromausa.com. |
363 | Number of solar panels installed on the roof of 45 Rockefeller Plaza in New York City to reduce the building's electrical consumption and help power the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree. |
New Products
Did you know the human eye can't tell the difference between a light at 100 percent capacity and 85 percent capacity? Dimmer manufacturer Lutron is turning that factoid into pure energy savings and longer bulb life with its Skylark EcoDim dimmer. Designed to work with incandescent light bulbs, the dimmer limits light levels to a maximum of 90 percent of full capacity, reducing energy usage by 10 percent and doubling the life of the bulb, but without being noticeable to the homeowner, according to the company. The dimmer, which can dim lights down to 5 percent of full capacity, is priced at $27. 888-588-7661. www.lutron.com
Resources
Heading to the International Builders' Show in February? Catch up on product and building trends with these attendee workshops:
What's New In
The best color to paint home exteriors in 2008? Any color you like, as long as it's dark, deep, and rich.
That's the word from The Color People, a Denver-based building industry consulting firm.
"People are responding to colors that you wouldn't expect, like dark blue-gray, dark green, old dark barn red — not bright lighthouse red," says James Martin, the firm's owner and a past officer of the Color Marketing Group. "This whole beige house thing is so dead."
Shutters, shingles, and siding, Martin says, already are darkening, especially on stone and brick houses. "A dark-colored house feels so much more solid," says Martin, who advises builders to use color as a marketing tool. "Particularly now that the market has gone soft, we want a feeling that the house is built well, will last, and will nurture our family."
What's on the way out for exteriors, says Martin, are whites, beiges, and primary colors. Builders, he says, shouldn't shy away from experimenting with off-hues of traditional greens, like rich olives and blue-greens, and blackened shades of blues."The trick," says Martin, "is some subtlety."
"These green products simply offer better quality, quality in health as well as performance and longevity. They aren't political products —they're just good products."
-- Custom builder and healthy homes proponent Douglas McDowell on the quality of green, non-toxic products, as reported in Custom Home magazine.24,500,000 |
| Kilowatts of wind energy purchased by Allstate Insurance to power the equivalent of 2,000 Texas homes for one year. |
Energy Star could be making its qualification requirements for windows and doors tougher in the near future, which could raise prices for qualified products, depending on where the numbers end up. The Department of Energy (DOE) will be reviewing its criteria for Energy Star-qualified windows, doors, and skylights this year, program manager Richard Karney said in an October 2007 letter to stakeholders. The DOE will consider lowering the required U-factor, or insulating value, in northern zones and the Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC), which measures solar heat transmittance, in southern zones, he says. The initial target range for both is between .20 and .30, down from .35 for U-factor and .40 for SHGC.
The new criteria, which would take effect in 2009 at the earliest, also could require minimum visible light transmittance levels to ensure adequate light, among other adjustments. The program also may explore emerging technologies such as dynamic glazings and establish installation procedures to ensure performance.
Tech Update
Unike the pricey home-tech systems of the past, emerging wireless technologies now make it possible to automate common household devices such as light switches, thermostats, garage doors, blinds, smoke detectors, audio, and video starting at about $2,000. The three technologies—ZigBee, Z-Wave, and Insteon—are attractive to builders because they don't add too much extra to the cost of a house and can be installed as a last-minute upgrade without tearing out the walls.
Here's a rundown of the three technologies:
 Trex |  Azek |  TimberTech |
Ketchup and barbecue sauce are great on a burger, but they're not so good on composite or wood decks, where they can leave unsightly stains. That's one of the reasons a growing number of manufacturers are entering the cellular PVC decking market.
In addition to avoiding staining, cellular PVC decking lessens two other problems S's—scratching and splitting, according to Ralph Bruno, president of Azek, which launched cellular PVC Azek Deck. And unlike the shiny, hollow vinyl often used in fencing and some decking products, cellular PVC is a solid, foamed product that has the density and workability of wood, but is lighter weight and more rigid than hollow vinyl.
Because vinyl decking contains little or no organic material, it's also resistant to mold, says Scott Fador, senior product manager for decking at Trex, which introduced cellular PVC Escapes decking. Cellular PVC decking cleans easily with soap and water, he says, and is about 35 percent lighter than typical composite decking.
Joining Trex and Azek in the cellular PVC decking market this year are Fiber Composites' cellular PVC Fiberon Sanctuary, Gossen's cellular PVC WeatherReady Deck, and TimberTech's XLM expanded polymer decking.
Composite decking still maintains the advantage over cellular PVC in realistic color, looks, and texture, Fador claims, but cellular PVC is coming closer with embossed wood-grain patterns and deeper, darker hues. Some manufacturers include non-wood organic fibers in the material for a more realistic look. PVC decking is about 15 percent to 20 percent more expensive than composite on a linear-foot basis, Fador says.