Top 10 Green Building Products

This year’s top 10 green building products from BuildingGreen cover a wide spectrum of products and applications, and highlight the ongoing innovation in the industry.

Some are used primarily in commercial buildings, others in residential applications. Some are considered green because they are made from recycled-content or biobased materials, others because they save water or are highly durable. One of the winners actually helps restore damaged ecosystems. Included in the Top-10 products are a sensor-activated faucet in which a tiny hydropower turbine keeps the sensor batteries charged, an innovative “smart” vapor retarder whose permeability increases as relative humidity rises, and a line of laboratory casework made from straw-based particleboard.

EnvironOxide pigment from Hoover Color Corporation in cooperation with Iron Oxide Recovery, Inc. This iron oxide pigment is recovered from abandoned coal mine drainage, actually regenerating damaged ecosystems in the manufacturing process. Available in a range of earth tone colors, EnvironOxide can be used in building materials including cement block, paint, wood stain and brick.

BioBase 501 soy-based foam insulation from BioBased Systems, Inc.
This is a low-density, open-cell polyurethane, spray-foam insulation derived in part from soybean oil. It has an insulation value of R-3.7/in. (RSI-0.7) or R-13 (RSI-2.3) at 3.5″ (90mm) – and costs significantly less than conventional open-cell polyurethane insulation.

MemBrain “smart” vapor retarder made by CertainTeed’s parent company Saint Gobain. A unique vapor retarder, MemBrain is made from a polyamide (nylon-6) film that changes permeability according to relative humidity, making it less likely to trap moisture in mixed climates.

American Pride latex paint produced by Southern Diversified Products in cooperation with the University of Southern Mississippi. Made largely of acrylated castor oil, this latex paint contains no volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Priced competitively with high-end interior latex paints, American Pride is the second paint to earn Green Seal certification.

Mineral silicate paints made by Keim Mineral Systems.
Invented by Keim in 1878, mineral silicate paints soak into and chemically bond with the coated surface. They are permeable, nontoxic, noncombustible, and resistant to acid rain, fungi and algae; they contain no VOCs; and they’re durable.

EnviroGT wall and corner guards made by InPro Corporation.
Providing an alternative to the vinyl (PVC) in conventional wall and corner guards, InPro makes these products from 100% post-industrial recycled high density polyethylene (HDPE). Wood used in these products comes from well-managed forests, as certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) standards.

Laboratory casework from Case Systems, Inc.
One of the largest manufacturers of commercial casework used in schools, labs and healthcare facilities, Case Systems switched its entire casework line from wood-fiber to Dow Bio-Products’ Woodstalk wheatstraw particleboard this year. As a result, the casework is more resistant to moisture and no longer offgases formaldehyde.

Mirra office chair from Herman Miller, Inc.
Designed by Studio 7.5 Berlin and using Herman Miller’s new “design for the environment” protocols, the Mirra Chair is ergonomic, attractive and reasonably priced. It uses a minimal number of components, each of which is labeled for future dissembly and refurbishing or recycling. The chair is made of recycled and otherwise benign materials and 96% of it was designed to be recycled.

Hot Water D’MAND system from Taco, Inc.
This electronically activated water-pumping system quickly delivers hot water to fixtures while returning water that has been sitting in the hot-water pipes back to the hot-water tank. The system saves water that would otherwise be wasted while homeowners wait for water to reach the desired temperature, and it saves energy used to heat the water.

EcoPower faucets from TOTO USA, Inc.
This sensor-activated faucet uses a tiny hydropower generator to keep its battery charged. When the faucet is used five times each day, the battery will last 10 years; when it is used more frequently the battery can last almost 20 years. Each 10-second cycle uses .17 gallons (.64 liters) of water, well below federal standards and standard practice.

All of these products are listed in the GreenSpec Directory at www.buildinggreen.com.