Dyson Hand Dryer

Dyson Airblade, hand dryer works in just 12 seconds scraping water from hands like a windshield wiper. It is the fastest hand dryer and it cleans the air before blowing it onto hands, so it is also hygienic. And it uses up to 80% less energy than warm air hand dryers. It has a HEPA filter which removes over 99.9% of abcteria from the air use to dry hands.
Dyson digital motor desgined by Dyson engineers, the Dyson digital motor works very differently than conventional, carbon brushed motors. It uses digital pulse technology - spinning an incredible 81,000 times a minute. Air is forced through two apertures the width of an eyelash - creating sheets of air travelling at 400 mph scraping water from hands in just 12 seconds. It is GreenSpec listed.

More info:

http://www.dysonairblade.com/homepage.asp

Eurostone Celing

EuroStone Ceiling Panels are made from an inorganic perlite (volcanic stone) blend that offers the best defense against mold and bacterial growth--without coatings or biocides that will offgas into indoor air. They will not burn, smoke or contribute fuel to a fire. Their stone-like properties ensure that these ceiling panels will not warp or sag, and that water leaks will not affect their stability or performance. Eurostone provides exceptional acoustical performance (NRC 0.65 per ASTM C 423) and light reflectance (LR .76 per ASTM E 1477) and features a Class A fire rating. Made of non-hazardous, non-fibrous materials. Formaldehyde-free and asbestos-free.

Uses: Schools, healthcare facilities, offices, commercial buildings, high-humidity environments such as swimming pools, bathrooms, and more. It comes in 24" x 24" x 7/8". Order to fit 9/16" or 15/16" grids. EuroStone Panels come in 8 colors and various surface textures and designs. Terric is rough textured, Cresta is fine-textured, and Montreaux is medium. Full trailer-loads of palletized panels may be shipped back for recycling. Freight will be paid by Chicago Metallics.

More information available:
http://www.greendepot.com/greendepot/product.asp?prod_name=Eurostone+Ceiling+Panels&pf_id=CMC&dept_id=5300&s_id=0&%22

Wiremold - Legrand

The Convia-enabled Wiremold system is an integrated energy management solution conceived to be flexible, adaptable and intelligent. It begins with Convia, a technology platform that allows for the integrated control and monitoring of plug load, lighting, and thermostat set points. Convia technology coupled with Walkerflex® flexible wiring from Wiremold/Legrand means systems can be deployed, reconfigured, expanded, or pared down at will. But the true genius of the system’s offering is in its ease of implementation. The distributed nature of Convia means no centralized and complicated lighting panels. System additions and subtractions can be done on a daily basis if you should desire it.

In contrast to other systems which provide estimates and averages of energy use, Wiremold/Convia provides actual power consumption by zone. It compares actual usage vs. different energy baselines and identifies the zones that are consuming more than expected power. This data allows facility managers to aggressively manage energy and constantly identify trouble spots as well as easily set and meet energy reduction targets.
* The system can reduce energy consumption by up to 30% vs. the stringent ASHRAE 2004 standard.
* The average building can save more than 50% on lighting and plug load alone.
* Changing HVAC set points throughout the day, or in unoccupied areas, can also save 10-15% on HVAC.
* Savings is also realized by classifying the system as equipment rather than realty property, therefore saving tens of thousands in life cycle costs through an accelerated depreciation schedule.

In addition, specifying the Convia-enabled Wiremold system in new construction can contribute as many as 23 points toward USGBC LEED CI certification.

You can play the demo and see how Wiremold works.
http://tools.wiremold.com/convia/

Green Grid

Green Grid is flexible roofing system that is suitable for both existing and new facility to improve their energy and storm water discharge performance. These green roofs are dramatically cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. It is a modular design. Modules arrive at site and ready fro installation. The modules that are made of 100% recycled plastics are placed directly on the existing roofing membrane or any other surface with sufficient load bearing capacity.

The modules come in three different depth sizes. 2.5" depth, 4" depth and 8" depth. Plant species are selected by staff horticulturists according to plant hardiness zone. Weston warrants that each GreenGrid module will perform its function of containing plant growth media for a period of 20 years.

The Green Grid is working closely with end-users, technology providers and governments around the world to create standards for more efficient use of energy in data centers.

More info: www.greengrid.org

Wall tiles by DAL-TILE

Tile products are mixture of predominately clays and other naturally occurring mineral, that have been mixed with water and fired in high temperature. Tile products manufactured by Dal-Tile are environmentally preferable building materials. Dal-Tile tiles manufactured in different sizes, shapes, and colors. Dal-Tile is the largest ceramic tile manufacturer in the U.S. The factories are located in El Paso, Texas and Monterrey, Mexico.

Rittenhouse Square by Dal-Tile is one of the products that is manufactured in El Paso, Texas. It can be used for floors, walls, counter tops, pool linings, and vanities. It is mainly recommended for residential and light commercial use.
Its Pre-Consumer RMC: 0.0 - 36.0% and Post-Consumer RMC: 0.0 - 1.5%
It does not contain asbestos. The tiles are odorless, stable, non-flammable, and pose no immediate hazard to health.

MSDS can be found at:
http://www.daltile.com/series.cfm?series=239#4657

More information:
http://www.daltile.com/home.cfm

Icestone

Icestone is an alternative material to natural stone. It is 75% recycled glass, about 18% white portland cement and the rest is made up of proprietary ingredients. It is less porous than marble and is as heat and scratch resistant as granite. It is Cradle to Cradle Gold Certified and manufactured in Brooklyn, New York. By using Icestone in LEED certified projects, following points can be achieved:
* MR 4.1
* MR 4.2
* MR 5.1
* MR 5.2
* ID
* EQ 4.1

IceStone durable surfaces are suitable for many re-uses in a long life cycle. Fabricators will accept used IceStone surfaces and may cut a new piece.

The company is not only making sustainable materials but also developing sustainable manufacturing process. The factory is day-lit, they have implemented a grey water recycling system, also they have replaced petroleum-based machine lubricants with soy-based ones.

Icestone can be purchased through Arcat:
http://www.arcat.com/arcatcos/cos44/arc44922.html

More info:
http://www.icestone.biz/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=13&Itemid=4

http://hubpages.com/hub/IceStone_Countertops__a_Green_Alternative

All in one

Caroma's new dual-flush Profile Smart high-efficiency toilet drains the sink water right into the toilet tank, all ready for the next flush. Profile Smart saves water by allowing the same water to be used for two purposes. Fresh water is used for hand washing then flows into the bowl to flush the toilet.
It uses 1.28/0.8 gallons of water per flush. Dual flush has two buttons for half flush and full flush. Half flush uses 0.8 gallons and full flush uses 1.28 gallons of water per flush.
This toilet is approved by WaterSense. WaterSense is a partnership program sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Toilets are certified by independent laboratory testing for water efficiency and flush performance. To be WaterSense-approved, the toilet must flush a minimum of 350 grams of water and have a non-adjustable valve.
The Profile Smart is the winner of the 2008 Popular Mechanics Breakthrough Award. The product can be purchased through Alterna corporation or Sustainable Solutions.

Product brochure can be found at:
http://www.alternacorp.com/assets/build/caroma/Profile-Smart%20Brochure.pdf

Technical data sheet:
http://www.alternacorp.com/assets/build/caroma/Profile_Smart_305%20Specs.pdf

More information available at:
http://www.greenbuildingsupply.com/includes/showObject.cfm?independentPage=showInContext&objectID=5646&objectType=Product&defaultLocation=SiteModel_public,236,/dbc/methods/Product/display/productDisplay_fullinfo_related_m1_smallPicture.cfm

http://www.alternacorp.com/products/caromahome.php#fp-caroma-smart-profile

Xerxes Water Tanks

Xerxes manufactures a wide range of fiberglass tanks designed to meet the demands of the growing water and wastewater infrastructure needs throughout North America. Xerxes underground water storage tanks, process vessels and wet wells are ideally suited for a wide range of applications.

Infiltration from a leaking tank can result in an improperly functioning system, while exfiltration causes pollution of water supplies. Xerxes tanks are the perfect alternative to pre-case or pour-in-place concrete tanks.

Xerxes water tanks have become a superior option for underground storage or processing of liquids in a wide range of applications, including green building or water conservation.

Green projects that incorporate Xerxes fiberglass water tanks may qualify for points under the U.S. Green Building Council's Sustainable Sites and Water Efficiency categories of its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system

Potable water, commonly referred to as drinking water, can safely be stored underground utilizing a Xerxes potable water tank. Xerxes potable water tanks are designed and manufactured to NSF Standard 61. They are available as NSF-listed and labeled tanks, unlike many competitive products.

Leed points can be achieved by purchasing the product from near manufacturing locations:

Anaheim, CA
Sequin, TX
Tipton, IA
Hagerstown, MD


Product brochure can be found:

http://www.xerxes.com/assets/documents/library/Onsite-wastewater-brochure.pdf
http://www.xerxes.com/assets/documents/library/Installation-Manual-and-Operating-Guidelines-IMOG-.pdf
http://www.xerxes.com/assets/documents/library/rst-II-guide-specifications.doc

Unicork

Unicork Flooring is a versatile collection of 26 distinctive flooring patterns designed and engineered for commercial spaces utilizing environmentally friendly surfaces coming from the bark of cork trees. It is a renewable resource. Unicork has exceptional physical properties including acoustical and thermal insulation, durability, resistance to mold and mildew, naturally hypo-allergenic, and easy to clean. It is suitable in homes, offices, institutional, healthcare and retail environments.
This product can contribute to attaining a point in the Materials and Resources credit for Rapidly REnewable Resources. This can also contribute to points within the Environmental Quality section of the LEED Rating Systems.
Unicork Benefits:
Exceptional physical properties
Acoustically superior
Easy to clean
Excellent resilience with inherent sound absorbing qualities due to the natural
air filtered structure of the cork core
Cushoned feel under foot

Saftey data sheet is available:

http://www.amaflooring.com/HTML/To_Market/PDF/MSDS%20Unicork%20Lacquer.pdf

More information:

http://tomkt.com/unicork/pdf/Unicork-Basix.pdf
http://tomkt.com/unicork/pdf/Unicork_Warranty.pdf
http://tomkt.com/unicork/pdf/unicork%20install%20&%20maint.pdf

Forbo Marmoleum

Marmoleum is natural linoleum from Forbo. Unlike other vinyl flooring, marmoleum has no foul odors that off-gas into the environment. It is all natural and it comes in all colors. This great floor covering has become the optimal solution for hospitals, schools, offices, government buildings and retail.
Marmoleum is Asthma & Allergy Friendly© and SMART™ certified as a sustainable product. This product being Asthma & Allergy Friendly is great accomplishment. We know that many people today suffer from asthma or some kind of allergy.
Marmoleum is made from natural raw materials including linseed oil (from flax seeds), pine rosins, wood flour (finely ground sawdust), and ecologically-friendly pigments that contain no heavy metals such as lead or cadmium.
Marmoleum is a natural organic product whose performance is enhanced over time as a result of the continued oxidation of linseed oil, a process which makes it naturally durable and anti-microbial. Warm, quiet, and easy on the feet. Easy to clean with a damp mop. Resistant to heavy rolling loads and foot traffic.


More info:

http://www.forboflooringna.com/default.aspx?menuId=27

http://www.greendepot.com/greendepot/product.asp?prod_name=Forbo+Marmoleum+Flooring&pf_id=FORBO&dept_id=5050&s_id=0&

Installation guides:

http://www.greendepot.com/greendepot/assets/images/docs/Marmoleum_Click_InstallationManual.pdf

Thermafleece

We do not know where we will end up working. It is good to have options. If it happens that you are working for a firm in England or you are doing a project in England this product will be great to use.

Thermafleece is used in clothes as well. However it is great product as insulator. Thermafleece is wool insulation. It is made from sheep wool that is mechanically bonded to form insulating batts. Thermafleece is made from low grade wool which had no use at all. Cumbrian farming family came up with this idea of using it as insulator.

The reason I am recommending for people who end up practicing in UK is that this insulator mainly manufactured in UK. Also British sheep wool is mainly used for this. Thermafleece meets the highest performance and quality ratings.It's R-value is 3.5 to 3.8 per inch thickness of material. It is a natural insulator because it has a crimped nature which traps air in millions of tiny pockets.
It is long lasting, BBA (British Board of Agreement) Certified, environmentally excellent and also safe to install product.
Thermafleece is natural fiber from a fully renewable resource. It is manufactured in batts.

Currently it is available for US customers through online distributors. Unfortunate.

I also included an article about the history of Thermafleece.

A Cumbrian farmer is getting a warm reception for a new product using low-grade wool, reports Michael Edwards

THE market for low-grade wool has always been restricted, so much so that some hill farmers recently burned their fleeces. However, there might now be a brighter future for fleece from hill sheep like Herdwick and Swaledale, thanks to a Cumbrian farming family.

Christine Armstrong, with assistance from her partner, David Baldry, of Cote Farm, Dacre, Penrith, has set up her own company, Second Nature UK, to develop Thermafleece, an environmentally friendly building insulation material that has been well-received by the trade. So confident is she that an ambitious £2m annual sales target is predicted by 2005.

"I've been involved in farming all my life," she said. "I fully understand and have personal experience of the despair currently felt throughout the industry. We believe that it is right to send out clear messages throughout Europe that British agriculture is not giving in.

"I liked the idea of doing something with such a natural product. In the 18th century people used sheep's wool for insulation so I began looking into whether it could be used now."

She took her idea to Leeds University and after a couple of years' research managed to get the product to market.

The coarser fleeces that are not in high demand in the international woollen textiles market are used to create a non-woven wool blend with excellent insulating properties, comparing favorably with other fibrous insulation materials. However, because wool is a natural fibre from a fully renewable resource, the product life cycle has an ideal energy balance; the Thermafleece manufacturing process expends only 14% of the embodied energy used to make glass fibre insulation, thereby paying back manufacturing energy costs seven times faster.

The new product requires no protective clothing during installation, does not irritate the skin, eyes or respiratory tract and meets all current building and safety regulations. Thermafleece is also totally recyclable for use in other environmentally friendly ways at the end of its useful life, which is predicted to be in excess of 50 years.
• Thermafleece

Christine explains: "We have not developed Thermafleece to be a cheap alternative to other insulation materials such as glass fibre. In fact it costs significantly more. Specifiers and builders who have shown interest in our product see added value in its ecologically sound nature and in the extra benefits wool brings to a building's environmental performance including summer cooling, winter warming and condensation control."

The fleece, used by the National Trust in Yorks, has also been installed in Newcastle City Council's new energy efficient classroom at Tyne Riverside Country Park, while Court Primary School in Chard, Somerset, has had Therma-fleece fitted as part of a £600,000 make-over. Christine is also fitting out her own farmhouse with the product.

To meet the strict requirements of building regulations and British Standards, Thermafleece had to be capable of resisting insect attack as well as being fire resistant. Most wool insulants use Boron salts to perform this task - a chemical additive which often costs as much to use as the wool itself, because its toxicity creates major waste-treatment problems. It soon became clear that finding a low-cost, effective but environmentally-friendly alternative insecticide was going to be essential to the success of the product.

Approaches to various research bodies finally produced the holy grail -- a dry, environmentally-friendly alternative to insecticide, that is now the company's patented secret "pixie dust".
• Complex structure

The fibres used in the manufacture of Thermafleece naturally form a complex but low-density structure, with microscopic scale-like surfaces, enabling the insulation to trap large volumes of air. These thermal and structural properties are complemented by the product's ability to absorb and release up to a remarkable 40% of its dry weight in water vapour; so, as temperatures fall and the dew point lowers, water vapour is absorbed, generating heat as it does so.

Another interesting fact is that wool has a natural tendency to melt away from flame and self-extinguish, so only a conventional fireproofing agent is added to meet the BS5803-4 Standard for fire resistance.

The scope for Thermafleece seems promising and Christine is already developing further ideas which might benefit from the material.

Inquiries Second Nature: Tel: 01768-486285.

PHOTO (COLOR): Christine and David have found a new market for fleece from their sheep and have set a £2m annual sales target.

~~~~~~~~

By Michael Edwards

Edited by Tessa Gates


These are the websites to go if you need more information:

http://www.alianenergy.co.uk/thermafleece-insulation.html
http://www.secondnatureuk.com/Natural_Insulation_Products/Thermafleece/index.html
http://www.ecohomemagazine.com/green-products/thermafleece-insulation-by-second-nature.aspx

Solatube

Solatube is used to distribute natural light in spaces where traditional window cannot be used. It works great in bathrooms, storages and laundry rooms.
The dome is installed on the roof and it harvests daylight. Light does not have to fall on the roof. Of course great invention of Fresnel lens systems comes handy here. Dome is able to collect the dyalight because of the fresnel lens system.
Next tube comes into play. There are two different tubes: FLEXIBLE and RIGID. According to BRE testing http://commonsenseuk.co.uk/documents/bre-report-248038.pdf, on average rigid tube will deliver 10 times more light than a flexible system.
Next part of this amazing daylighting system is the difusser. Diffuser is the part that is seen in the ceiling. Good difusser distributes light evenly. It also blocks UV transmission.

More information is available:

http://www.solatube.com/
http://just-rooflights.com/solatube-330DS-data.html

You can also find how to install it:

http://solatube.com/residential/customer-service/technical-resources/index.php