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Products: BuildingGreen Top 10

BuildingGreen's top 10 green products of the year were announced in October 2007 at Greenbuild Chicago.

Compiled by Mark Piepkorn

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Alpen Fiberglass Windows from Alpen Energy Group
Alpen Energy Group sets the bar for window energy performance using a combination of suspended films, low-e coatings, low-iron glass, gas fill, fiberglass frames insulated with vacuum-silica aerogel, and low-conductivity spacers. Its highest-performing windows achieve R-20 center-of-glass insulating value (unit R-value of 10, U-factor 0.10). The majority of the company’s products are used in projects in which different glazings are used for different wall orientations.

What makes this product green?
Building components that reduce heating and cooling loads

LEED credit relevance:
EA Prerequisite 2—Minimum Energy Performance
EA Credit 1—Optimize Energy Performance

Alpen Energy Group, Boulder, CO. www.alpeneg.com; 303-530-1150, 800-882-4466.

LifeGuard Low-Smoke Zero-Halogen Cable from Houston Wire & Cable Company
Nearly all electrical cable is wrapped in PVC or other halogenated plastics; many also contain lead and other heavy metals, as well as phthalate plasticizers, probable endocrine disruptors. LifeGuard low-smoke, near-zero-halogen electrical cables—many of which are lead-free and RoHS compliant—are used primarily in high-reliability utility and industry applications but are also installed in some commercial applications. Its high cost has limited its use in the residential market.

What makes this product green?
Reduces impacts from construction or demolition
Releases minimal pollutants

Houston Wire & Cable Company; Houston, TX. www.houwire.com, 713-609-2100, 800-759-2677.

SunEye from Solmetric Corporation
The Solmetric SunEye hand held electronic device calculates solar access using an integrated fish-eye lens and digital camera that captures an image of the site; integrated electronics then plot solar exposure at that location. Users can simulate the removal of obstructing trees or structures. Monthly, seasonal, annual, and multi-skyline shading averages can be determined in the field or uploaded to a personal computer for further analysis, reporting, and printing.

What makes this product green?
Renewable energy and fuel cells

Solmetric Corporation, Bolinas, CA. www.solmetric.com; 415-868-9950, 877-263-5026.

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180 Walls from Milliken & Company
180 Walls from Milliken is a commercial, highly permeable woven wallcovering made from 100% pre-consumer recycled polyester. Its self-adhesive backing eliminates the need for paste. This product has a Silver rating from McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry's Cradle-to-Cradle certification program and is certified by Greenguard Children and Schools. 180 Walls is less expensive than most fabric wallcoverings.

What makes this product green?
Alternatives to hazardous components
Pre-consumer recycled content
Releases minimal pollutants

LEED credit relevance:
MR Credit 4—Recycled Content
IEQ Credit 4—Low-Emitting Materials

Milliken & Company, Spartanburg, SC. www.180walls.com; 888-487-8499. CIRCLE 83

LED Downlight from LED Lighting Fixtures
The LR6 downlight from LED Lighting Fixtures Inc. uses just under 11 watts to provide 650 lumens of light—an efficacy of 60 lumens per watt, better than compact fluorescent (CFL) downlights. It has a color-rendering index (CRI) of 92, significantly better than most CFLs. The product fits into standard 6-inch recessed cans using a regular screw base or the newer GU-24 mount. LED lighting requires no mercury (as fluorescent lamps do) and lasts three to five times longer than fluorescent bulbs.

What makes this product green?
Alternative to hazardous components
Equipment conserves energy or manages loads

LEED credit relevance:
EA Credit 1—Optimize energy performance

LED Lighting Fixtures, Morrisville, NC. www.LLFinc.com; 919-991-0700.

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