Every year, BuildingGreen names the ten best green building products that, as the publication states, “transform the design and construction industry” by helping to solve environmental problems, from reducing greenhouse gas emissions to finding durable and safe materials.
A urinal, bike rack, ventless dryer, and a chair made of mushroom roots made the cut. For more on this year’s list, click here. Here are the 2014 and 2015 editions.
Honeywell’s Solstice Liquid Blowing Agent — Based on hydrofluoroolefin technology, it replaces a high global warming potential blowing agent, HFC-245fa, found in spray polyurethane foam. Solstice has a 100-year GWP of 1, which means it is equal to carbon dioxide in terms of global warming potential. The product is used by Whirlpool in appliance lines, as well as for Lapolla’s Foam-Lok 2000 4G SPF wall insulation, and Henry-West Development Group’s 3012-EB-3 SPF roof insulation.
Whirlpool HybridCare Ventless Clothes Dryer — The ventless heat-pump dryer improves efficiency by using a refrigeration loop that condenses moisture from the drum and returns excess heat energy. HybridCare saves on HVAC energy, providing 40% energy savings over a standard dryer.
Sloan Hybrid Urinal — The urinal uses a water-free cartridge and automatic rinser to keep it clean and odor-free. The unit’s Velocity cartridge pumps liquid through it and out the drainpipe, lessening buildup, while a water solution called Jetrinse is flushed every 72 hours to keep solids from forming in the housing and drain line.
Gunlocke Savor Guest Chair with Ecovative MycoBoard Backing — This guest chair is made from an engineered-wood alternative made from mushroom mycelium, a root, and is as strong and stable as a standard plywood- or particleboard-backed chair.
Duo-Gard Bike Racks and Shelters — The racks can be incorporated into a building to help it achieve LEED status. The shelters’ roofs are made of standing-seam metal or polycarbonate, and walls are made of polycarbonate, safety glass, perforated metal, or steel or aluminum mesh. Photovoltaic panels and LED lighting can also be included.
NuLED Power over Ethernet (PoE) Low-Voltage LED Lighting — The system uses DC power from a standard PoE network, and it can monitor and control LED power consumption and color temperature, all with less energy loss than AC systems.
Personal Comfort Systems Hyperchair — When HVAC systems can’t accommodate everyone’s preferred indoor temperature, this office chair provides personal heating and cooling powered by a lithium ion phosphate battery and controlled by a panel on chair’s arm.
Unity Homes High-Performance Panelized Homes — The high-performance panelized home system uses computer numeric control equipment to help create panelized wall systems and small prefab room modules to minimize thermal bridging. Unity Homes use energy-saving insulation and FSC-certified wood with low-VOC finishes.
Sanden Heat Pump Water Heater with CO2 Refrigerant — This heat-pump water heater uses CO2 as a refrigerant and creates water temperatures high enough for hydronic heating. It can deliver around 16,000 Btu/hr and can produce 149°F water.
Tesla Powerwall and Powerpack Onsite Energy Storage — The rechargeable lithium-ion battery system incorporates liquid thermal management, battery management, and a DC–DC converter. It has a 10 kWh unit optimized for weekly or backup use and a 7 kWh unit for daily use.
Tesla’s Powerwall and Powerpack. Photo: Tesla (via BuildingGreen).
Related Stories
Sustainability | Sep 19, 2016
Brussels’ Botanic Center apartment block looks to live up to its name with the addition of 10,000 plants and a rooftop “Chrysalis”
The project, which has been commissioned and is in the design phase, would eliminate CO2 and produce its own energy.
Energy | Sep 13, 2016
Oberlin College to hold conference on post-fossil fuel economy
The gathering will address climate change and new sources of energy.
BIM and Information Technology | Sep 7, 2016
Energy Star Portfolio Manager tool updated to factor in waste management
The costs and benefits of managing 29 types of waste are now included.
Sustainability | Aug 30, 2016
New federal project plans must include climate impacts
Agencies must quantify the specific impacts when possible.
Sponsored | Coatings | Aug 29, 2016
Making a greener future with biorenewable coatings
Biorenewable and recycled materials help eliminate waste and reduce the use of virgin materials
Green | Aug 29, 2016
Vancouver, B.C., to require zero emissions on new buildings by 2030
No net GHG emissions will be allowed.
Great Solutions | Aug 23, 2016
Visual energy model database demystifies net-zero design
Diamond Schmitt Architects’ ecoMetrics tool allows its designers to quickly analyze solutions based on models from 44 LEED-certified projects.
Energy Efficiency | Aug 17, 2016
Investor Confidence Project aimed at raising trustworthiness on energy efficiency projects
The new initiative screens projects to see if they are investor-ready.
| Aug 3, 2016
GREEN BUILDING GIANTS: Sustainability leaders turn to wellness and technology to get an edge
AEC leaders in green building are stepping up to a higher level of innovation and to be a green leader today, you have to dig deeper into data.
| Aug 3, 2016
Top 60 Green Building Engineering Firms
Jacobs, AECOM, and Arup top Building Design+Construction’s annual ranking of the nation’s largest green building sector engineering and E/A firms, as reported in the 2016 Giants 300 Report.
