GreenSpec Insights
Eleek: Lighting That's Eco-Friendly Even When It's Off
Posted by Tristan Roberts on 03/13/2012
Eleek strips miles out of its supply chain and carbon-intensive steps out of its manufacturing. That's good for the embodied energy of its cast aluminum luminaires and other hardware.
Wait a minute. Weren't we criticizing Eleek and its cast aluminum hardware in this blog a few weeks ago? We were--and that sparked a dialogue with one of our readers that led to more...
Tape It? Seal It? Glue It? Sealing Weather Barrier Seams
Posted by Peter Yost on 03/06/2012
Lots of building products offer some help in keeping air, water, and heat in our buildings, but without attention to the joints, you lose critical continuity in your barriers.
NOTE: Read this whole series here.
In just about every climate in which we live and build, the number one job of any building envelope or enclosure is environmental...
A Tale of Two Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)
Posted by Jennifer Atlee on 02/29/2012
Not all MSDSes are created equal. Because what they are required to report is minimal, manufacturers take very different approaches to how much they disclose.
One of the first tools we use in product evaluations are Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSes, or MSD Sheets). These data sheets, required by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for all products, are designed to address occupational safety and provide a bare-bones assessment of the chemical hazards...
Cost-Effective Window Attachments: A Practical Guide
Posted by Martin Solomon on 02/22/2012
With so many types of window treatments available, including awnings, shades, storms, and shutters, it's hard to know which one is right. GreenSpec can help.
Most window attachments are chosen with aesthetics in mind--probably in part because picking the right awnings, shades, shutters and other attachments for their performance characteristics hasn't been simple in the past.
In collaboration with BuildingGreen, publishers of GreenSpec, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab (LBNL)...
Making Renewable Energy Work Better: "Swarm Power" Cogeneration
Posted by Jennifer Atlee on 02/22/2012
There's a lot of talk about how renewable energy like solar and wind can't ramp up to meet our energy needs. What we need are creative solutions to that challenge, like distributed cogeneration.
I just got off the phone with Ralph Kampwirth, at LichtBlick in Germany, who told me about a system his company now has up and running to provide power to the grid exactly when it's most needed, while at the same time providing cheaper heat and hot water to German homes.
While we...
Dual-Flush Toilets Shouldn't Be a Crapshoot
Posted by Tristan Roberts on 02/16/2012
Which flush is which? Dual-flush fixtures should be better at making it obvious.
Editor's note: Thanks to Evan Dick for this guest post. Evan is a former writer from BuildingGreen and now works at the Center for EcoTechnology in Massachusetts.
The adage "If it's yellow let it mellow, if it's brown flush it down" might be an acceptable water-saving solution in some households, but certainly doesn't meet our expectations for...
Scraping the Surface of Exterior Paint Prep
Posted by Brent Ehrlich on 02/16/2012
For wood siding, preparing the surface is as important as the paint itself. Here are some factors to look for, or fix, to help that next paint job last.
Even before you choose an exterior paint product, it's important to learn a bit about what makes paint stick--or not. For background I sought out a few paint prep tips...Redefining What Makes a Building Product Green
Posted by Jennifer Atlee on 02/08/2012
It's easy to get lost in a sea of greenwash. Our updated GreenSpec criteria provide clear direction on what makes a product green.
BuildingGreen has been defining what makes a product green since the start of the GreenSpec directory in 1998--and we're repeatedly surprised by how far and wide our list of green attributes travels. The industry is not static, though, and it is our aim to continue providing a compass that points from today's best practices to truly sustainable...
Not Green Enough: Six Products GreenSpec Rejected and Why
Posted by Tristan Roberts on 02/07/2012
There are plenty of products that simply aren't efficient, low-emitting, or sustainable. but here are some products that have a lot going for them, but also have some serious flaws.
Editor's note: Since the original posting of this blog, we have revised our opinion of Eleek, and written more about its cast aluminum hardware, leading us to remove mention of...
Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC): Will the U.S. Ever Lighten Up?
Posted by Paula Melton on 02/01/2012
Lighter, more fire-resistant, and a better insulator, autoclaved aerated concrete caught on in the rest of the world ages ago. It's taking a lot longer in the U.S.
To read what manufacturers and distributors say about it, you'd think autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) was some kind of new, space-age environmental miracle.
Although it certainly has some nifty properties, AAC isn...
About the Authors
Alex Wilson is founder and executive editor of BuildingGreen, Inc., and coeditor of GreenSpec. For more than 30 years, Alex has been the most trusted voice on energy efficiency and environmentally responsible design and construction. Since launching Environmental Building News (EBN) in 1992, he’s built a reputation, resources, and staff to serve the companies for whom sustainable design is a core value.
Brent Ehrlich is BuildingGreen’s products editor, conducts research and writes product and category insights for the company’s GreenSpec product directory. He also contributes product reviews and feature articles for Environmental Building News, and is a contributing editor to McGraw-Hill’s GreenSource magazine.
Jennifer Atlee is research director at BuildingGreen, responsible for guiding the in-depth independent research that is the hallmark of all BuildingGreen resources. With her broad knowledge in sustainability, analytical acumen, and passion for improving the standards used to assess the sustainability of products, processes, and organizations, Jennifer brings strong direction to the research process behind GreenSpec’s product-screening decisions, and technical rigor to BuildingGreen’s custom research projects.
Tristan Roberts is Editorial Director at BuildingGreen, Inc., a position that requires broad knowledge about sustainable design, deep understanding of products, and mastery of all things LEED. Tristan Roberts brings that to Environmental Building News, GreenSpec, and LEEDuser, a plug-in tool supported by the U.S. Green Building Council to provide credit-by-credit advice for LEED projects.
Peter Yost brings more than 25 years' experience in building, researching, teaching, writing, and consulting on high-performance homes to his role as director of residential services for BuildingGreen. He has been called upon to provide his building-science expertise to the nation’s leading homebuilding programs, including NAHB’s Green Building Standard, USGBC's LEED for Homes, EPA’s WaterSense, and the U.S. Department of Energy's Building America.
Paula Melton, BuildingGreen’s managing editor, brings a dynamic style, critical mind, and sharp wit to the many feature articles, blog posts, and product reviews she writes for GreenSpec, BuildingGreen.com, Environmental Building News, and other BuildingGreen-supported websites.
Nadav Malin is president of BuildingGreen, where he oversees the company’s industry-leading information and community-building resources and consulting services. He also convenes and facilitates gatherings of industry leaders, and lends his technical expertise and vision to GreenSource magazine. Nadav was the founding chair of the Materials & Resources Technical Advisory Group for LEED.
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Am hearing about this new technology and seeing positive reviews online but have also being told that they're not appropriate for larger, older...
Hi Patsy,
This listing is just for BlueskinVP, not Air Bloc (a fluid-applied product), which we do not list. On the landing page you have...
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I am a little (a lot) late to this conversation, but I think the only wood-burning appliances should be direct vent masonry ovens which burn at...