A house with no furnace

An environmental lawyer and a partner at a design firm are building a house that will require no active energy inputs — no oil, gas, or electric heating. In chilly Massachusetts, it will rely exclusively on insulation and architectural design. Check out the details, with video and slide show, at the New York Times’ report.

Stimulus money funds energy generation at door maker plant

Door maker CMI has received a grant of $1.3 million through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The company will use the money to install a steam turbine at its Towanda, Pa., facility. According to the company, "the new system will use existing excess steam to generate up to 1,000 kilowatts of electricity." The press release continued:

Governor Edward G. Rendell said CMI’s steam turbine project is one of nine new large-scale combined heat and power projects being supported by the state. Together, it is estimated these projects will create enough energy to power 180,000 homes for one year and slash carbon dioxide emissions equal to 180,000 passenger vehicles, while creating jobs and stabilizing power distribution networks.

PPG paper pushes products for LEED points

Paint-maker PPG Industries just released a white paper to help architects, developers, and contractors specify PPG products when seeking LEED (and other green) certifications. Yes, it is basically a big eight-page ad, for example:

As a manufacturer of several national paint brands, PPG has products for all types of interior surfaces that comply with the VOC criteria of Green Seal GS-11, GC-03, and the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD), Rule 1113.

When comparing proposed versus baseline energy consumption, fenestration types, u-factor, solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) and visual light transmittance (VLT) are key energy model inputs. PPG manufactures various architectural glasses that meet design objectives and contribute to the environmental performance of an integrated, energy-efficient building envelope.

Duranar and Superl II ULTRA-Cool coatings for roof and side wall metal assemblies are most applicable for this green building practice. ULTRA-Cool coatings contain IR-reflective pigments that reject solar energy and reduce surface temperatures in a palette of climate-appropriate colors.

But I can't sneer at "advertising" too much. There is actually good info here if you are looking for the right product for your green projects. Just make sure you look at the info from PPG's competitors, too.

New green LBM dealer plans to launch 25-unit chain

California developer and entrepreneur Rich Rifkin is launching a chain of eco-friendly lumber and building material units in California. The chain, New Home, has started a Web site and gotten some press. The first store will open in Dublin, Calif., in January. Eventually, Rifkin plans to push the chain throughout California and eventually the United States, according to reports. The company Web site mentions plans to open 10 in the San Francisco Bay area alone.

Building material vendor promotes tax credit angle

More and more manufacturers are pushing their green products, especially if those products can be used for tax credits. Thanks to the stimulus legislation recently passed -- specifically, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act -- manufacturers are looking for ways to raise consumer awareness.

So it is with building material maker Typar, with a sustainability page on the company Web site as well as a new press release (PDF format) featuring products like the company's "Weather Protection System," a building wrap that can reduce your tax load:

Through the ARRA, homeowners can receive tax credits amounting to 30 percent of the cost up to $1,500 of energy-efficient improvements made to an existing home. Home builders, too, can benefit, receiving $2,000 in tax credits for building a home that saves 50 percent of the heating and cooling energy used by the average home of similar size; manufactured home builders can receive $1,000 in tax credits for the same heating and cooling energy savings. And, commercial builders, designers and building owners can receive $1.80 per square foot of the structure in tax credits for building envelope improvements that reduce heating and cooling energy by at least 10 percent.

Green wood-like product extends reach

Lifetime Lumber makes a wood-like building product out of 65% recycled material, including fly ash. The composite boards can be used to score LEED certification points and are very fire resistant.

Anyway, the company just announced that it has reached an agreement with distributor Duraforce to offer the product in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.

RCC joins USGBC

Royal Concrete Concepts, of West Palm Beach, Fla., has joined the U.S. Green Building Council, making it one of more than 15,000 affiliate-members. According to RCC,

RCC building products are designed and engineered to help project teams achieve LEED points, from both energy and environmental standpoints. In the educational sector, RCC's sustainable, economical and versatile method of construction can be applied to individual classrooms, additions or entire school complexes. The modular buildings are constructed at Royal Concrete's facilities and then assembled on site - complete with plumbing, wiring and interior design. Compared to traditional methods, fewer trucks are required to travel on site, site construction is minimized, safety is increased, and waste byproducts are reduced, saving time, money and the environment. The facilities are also energy-efficient and hurricane-resistant, making for more economical, safer learning environments.

But note that the choice of concrete as a greener option than other building materials is not at all certain.

Certified lumber product gains record high strength rating

LP Building Products has gained a record high strength rating for its LP SolidStart Laminated Strand Lumber product. According to an LP press release, the product has earned a 1.75E grade from APA – The Engineered Wood Association.

The engineered wood product, based on wood-strand technology, is created through a steam-injection press that cures adhesives for a strong bond and straight board with little swelling. As a result, the lumber product can be made in longer pieces than traditional lumber for faster installation and fewer callbacks, according to the company.

LP says that its environmentally efficient manufacturing process and the use of SFI-certified wood in LP SolidStart LSL gives builders points toward certification with some green building programs, including NAHB Model Green Home Building Guidelines, Green Point Rated, Built Green Built Better and Earth Craft House. The company did not mention the more rigorous LEED certification, which generally requires a more strict certification that than afforded by the SFI program.

According to Melissa Warren, product manager for LP's Engineered Wood Product business

The strength of LP SolidStart LSL means that builders can use this one product throughout the home, including garage door headers and floor beams, to reduce build-up time as well as provide longer spans and greater design flexibility.

New expansion joint filler is 100% recycled

W. R. Meadows' new expansion joint filler is made of 100% recycled synthetic rubber. According to the company, its new Eco-Joint product can be used in "roadways, airport runways, sidewalks, pavement patch repair, driveways, flooring, parking lots, plazas, flatwork, patios, and curbs." And it can be used to satisfy the requirements for several LEED credits.

New mold-resistant wallboard

Wallboard maker National Gypsum and seed company Syngenta have partnered to produce a new mold-resistant wallboard. Syngenta's Sporgard, a chemical product, is embedded in the XP Gypsum Board drywall line.

XP Gypsum Board panels consist of a specially treated, fire resistant, mold and moisture resistant gypsum core encased in heavy mold/mildew/moisture resistant, 100% recycled purple paper on the face and mold/mildew/moisture resistant paper on the back side.

For those looking to improve indoor air quality -- especially in a damp environment -- this might be something to consider.

So long, Sheetrock?

Ecolect has an interesting post on a new green product that may replace gypsum board.

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Dec 1 Update: Inhabitat has an article on this too.

What makes it green?

A very interesting post on the Eco-Logikal blog talks about how to tell if a building product is green. From the post:

Integrated design – thinking about how a building works as a system and designing that system to be environmentally-friendly – is a key part of green building. Certain products, particularly those that deal with energy, are not inherently green but can used in ways that enhance the environmental performance of a building. For example, a dual-pane, low-E window may not be green in terms of its material components or manufacturing process, but if used strategically it can reduce energy use by maximizing the collection of winter sunlight and blocking out the summer sun.

The gift of green

Tile and flooring maker Laticrete has donated a pallet of Greenguard certified materials last July to the Atlanta Habitat for Humanity to install porcelain tiled floors in the kitchens and bathrooms of six two-story townhouses in the Sylvan Hills section of Atlanta.

Yeah, this qualifies as old news, but their agency only just sent me the press release, and it is in a good cause -- I'm glad to see an example of a donation that keeps the ecosystem in mind.

North Pac, RoyOMartin in deal to distribute certified OSB

LBM distributor North Pacific has partnered with building products maker RoyOMartin to sell FSC-certified oriented strand board through North Pac's Napa, Calif., distribution center. A RoyOMartin spokeperson told me that all the company's certified OSB products will be available through to NorthPac customers. According to a press release:

These products contain no urea formaldehyde and are categorized as Low-Emitting Materials – Composite Wood under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System. North Pacific’s distribution center will be stocking RoyOMartin’s FSC-certified Tuff Strand, StrucWall, StructWall XL and The Grid brands, ready for next-day delivery to dealers and distributors in the Northern California region. RoyOMartin’s fully-automated OSB mill is one of the largest in the world, and one of the only mills producing FSC-certified OSB.

New building panel features high percent of recycled content

Temple-Inland's new gypsum sheathing product -- GreenGlass Fiberglass-Faced Gypsum Sheathing -- hits all the right buttons as an eco-friendly product, according to a company release. Up to 90 percent recycled content? Check. Mold resistant? Check. Moisture resistant? Check. Fire resistant? For the thicker version, check.

According to Jim Hannan, a company spokesman, “We’re very confident about the mold and moisture resistance offered by this product, not only because of the natural resistance properties of its fiberglass facers, but because of our TemShield Mold Protection that’s engineered into its gypsum core. In fact, it scored a 10, the highest score possible in laboratory mold-resistance testing."

New England home builder creates alternative energy division

Cambridge, Mass.-based S+H Construction just opened a new Renewable Energy Division. From a company press release:

S+H's Renewable Energy Division designs, integrates and installs solar electric power, solar thermal hot water, and geothermal heating and cooling systems. Their services include everything from system design and installation through maintenance of residential equipment as well as energy conservation consultations. S+H is a fully certified turnkey installer and performs all of the paperwork necessary for homeowners to qualify for and obtain the significant rebates offered in Massachusetts to those who install PV.

The company's green building Web page will undoubtedly be updated soon with more info.

Green pro dealer launches new Web site

Longtime eco-friendly LBM dealer EarthSource Forest Products has launched a new Web site. It features product info, news, and links.

Lightship to make energy efficient panels

Lightship Group has announced that it will be making kama-EEBS building panels, which are formed of metal and non-extruded polystyrene and emit no CFCs or VOCs. According to the company, they are also non-toxic and energy efficient.

New organization forms for green pro dealers

A new association has been formed by a group of pro dealers, called the "Green Suppliers' Council." I found out about it through a press release from Alexandria, Va.-based Smitty's Building Supply, a founding member, but Smitty's does not mention the organization on the company Web site. According to the Smitty's press release, the organization is "a nationwide network of building material dealers formed to promote and facilitate green building in the residential construction market."

I also found this news report about another founding member, Central Valley Builders Supply, based in St. Helena, Calif.

Dr. Google also misdirected me to a Web site for the Build It Green Suppliers Council, which, while potentially interesting to readers of this blog, is NOT related to the new "Green Suppliers' Council."

And I noted with interest that the nascent association is being organized by Greg Brooks, of the The Building Supply Channel. Small world that this $407.2 billion industry is, Greg and I used to work together on Pro Dealer magazine, a publication we split off from Home Channel News a decade or so ago and then folded back into the mother book five or so years later. That's a photo of Greg from the HCN archives. I asked Greg about his organization, and I mentioned the Build It Green Suppliers Council, and he said:

This is different from Build It Green; they're a northern California non-profit that operates just in that region. This group is composed of non-competing independent dealers from all over the United States; the objective is to share info and strategies among executives, to help our members establish a leadership position in green building in their respective markets.

I'll post a link to Greg's Green Suppliers Council as soon as I get one (I'm guessing the Web site is still under construction, maybe).

Green manufacturers recognized

SustainableBusiness.com has released its annual list of the top 20 "sustainable" public companies, that is, "public companies that are leading the way to a sustainable society." Among the companies on the list are a number of building materials makers:

• Apogee, a leading manufacturer of efficient glass.
• Accsys Technology, the creator of technology that gives softwood trees the durability and quality of hardwoods.
• Interface, a maker of environmentally friendly carpet tiles.