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Dow Corning's Building Insulation Blanket is a flexible sheet impregnated with aerogel partciles that imparts very high insulation value relative to its thin profile. The HPI-1000 Building Insulation Blanket offers R-9.6 per inch in a 10 mm (0.4") thickness, for a unit value of R-3.84, and a Class A fire rating. The silica aerogel particles are embedded in a proprietary polymer that contains neither PVC nor flame retardant chemicals, according to Dow Corning. The HPI-1100 Building Insulation Blanket offers R-8.1/inch for the same thickness, and its aerogel is embedded in a nonwoven glass substrate, making it noncombustible. Both products are relatively expensive, at about $10/ft2, and are intended as thermal breaks in difficult-to-insulate applications like slab edges. According to Dow Corning, the blankets are easy to cut, bend, and glue, and are hydrophobic, while being vapor-permeable.

iTek manufactures monocrystalline photovoltaic panels in Bellingham, Washington. The company’s 240-watt panels operate at 18% efficiency and the company claims its use of clear, low-iron glass and components were engineered for use in areas with low light levels and increased snow and wind loads, such as the Pacific Northwest.

WaterFurnace International manufactures GeoStar ground-source heat pumps. Designed for residential use, they are available in both water-to-air and water-to-water units; its Sycamore heat pump (3–5 ton capacity) can provide an EER over 40 and a COP of 5.3 using a variable speed scroll compressor and ECM blower motor. The Aston split systems are available in outdoor and indoor units and are designed for use where utility space is limited. All GeoStar models are Energy Star and AHRI certified and use R410A refrigerant.

KMC Controls’ carbon dioxide sensors monitor CO2 levels in commercial, healthcare, and other applications and communicate that information to demand control ventilation systems. These self-calibrating units improve indoor air quality by providing ventilation where needed and reduce energy waste caused by over-ventilation of unoccupied spaces. They are RoHS compliant with low levels of lead, mercury, cadmium, and other toxicants. The company also offers smoke detectors and sensors for temperature, humidity, pressure flow, and occupancy.

VIP Door offers residential doors consisting of an R-66 vacuum insulation panel embedded in a fiberglass frame. According to the company, the 1.75"-thick doors achieve R-30 overall. VIP doors are available with custom skins of stainless steel, aluminum, fiberglass, or wood veneer.

The PrevaLED line of modular LED light engines and modules are engineered for spotlights, downlights, and other applications. They offer CRI values over 80 and are available with outputs of 1,100, 2,000, and 3,000 lumens in color temperatures from 2700K to 4000K. The Cube Downlight modules and Core Spot light engines have efficacies as high as 106 and 116 lumens per watt, respectively. The PrevaLED HD (high definition) light engine is for use in high-quality lighting applications and comes with a control system that helps it achieve consistent CRI values over 90 (within a 3-step MacAdam ellipse) while still providing efficacies as high as 73 lpw.

BioheatUSA, formerly Tarm USA, supplies high-efficiency wood and pellet boilers. The three wood-gasification boilers are designed to run at high-fire only—so as to achieve high combustion efficiency with highly variable wood fuel. For efficient wood heating during fall and spring, BioheatUSA supplies add-on hot-water storage systems. The HS Tarm Solo Innova provides efficiencies in the mid-80% range, while the baseline Solo Plus model achieves efficiencies up to 80%. The wood boiler fans draw 75W–100W. These boilers require their own chimney flue. In typical installations the existing fossil-fuel boiler is retained as back up, and the wood boiler vents into a second existing flue. BioHeatUSA is the exclusive importer and distributor of Froling and Tarm products with dealers throughout the United States and Canada.

General Panel Corporation produces an EPS-core SIP system. The company offers panels with a EPS core thicknesses of 3-5/8", 5-5/8", 7-3/8", 9-3/8", and 11-3/8" with corresponding R-values of 15, 23, 30, 38, and 46. The company produces panels in Mississippi and Tennessee.

Daikin’s Altherma is an air-source heat pump system that can provide heating, cooling, and domestic hot water. Altherma is available with split-type or outdoor-only heat pumps along with a “Hydrobox” heat exchanger that transfers heat to a hot water storage tank. These tanks come in 50- and 80-gallon options and have back-up electric heating elements. Altherma is available for heating only or for heating and cooling (where the refrigeration cycle is reversed). Altherma can be plumbed into a radiant flooring system or a hydronic fan coil unit for forced air applications and is available with a solar thermal option. Altherma uses R410a refrigerant and some units have COPs as high as 4.34 and EERs greater than 12.

The Securus ACDC12 is a solar hybrid heat-pump air conditioner and heater suitable for spaces up to 750 ft2, or to supplement a larger system. It may be connected to up to three PV panels (for a maximum total of 700W) for its primary daytime power, and then runs on standard 220VAC grid power overnight. The SEER 20 unit provides 11,000 BTU of cooling; in the winter it provides 12,000 BTU of heat in temperatures as low as 5°F.

Perlite is an amorphous volcanic rock that is expanded at very high temperatures to create a lightweight insulating material typically used for loose-fill applications. GAF adds up to 50% cellulose fibers and up to 20% asphalt to bind the perlite together in its EnergyGuard boardstock insulation for roofing applications. With inherent fire resistance and insulating value of R-2.78 per inch, EnergyGuard provides an alternative to polystyrene and polyiso boards. It is installed directly on top of a structural roof deck. GAF designed the product for use under built-up roofing or modified bitumen, so some single-ply roofing membranes may not be compatible with it. GAF offers the boards in standard 2'x2' and 4'x4' sizes and 3/4", 1-1/2", and 2" thicknesses.

Foil-Grip 1402 is a zero-VOC aluminum tape with butyl sealant for use on flexible ducts. According to the manufacturer, Foil-Grip will adhere at temperatures up to 180ºF, is rugged enough for outdoor or below-grade use, and has a 40-year service life. Foil-Grip is available in 100' rolls in widths from 2"–36".

FlexFix is a zero-VOC, oriented-polypropylene tape with acrylic sealant for use on flexible ducts. FlexFix is hand-tearable and the manufacturer claims it will adhere in temperatures from 0ºF–210ºF. FlexFix is available in 3" and 48mm widths in black and silver.

Intertape AC 698 is a zero-VOC, oriented-polypropylene tape with acrylic sealant for use on flexible ducts. AC 698 hand-tears and Intertape claims it will adhere in temperatures up to 210ºF. AC 698 is available in black, clear, silver, and red.

GreenFiber offers seven varieties of cellulose insulation, all of them containing 85% recycled paper fiber (55% post-consumer and 30% pre-consumer). The various products are designed for specific applications, including spray, blow-in, and loose-fill insulation for attics, new-construction walls, and wall retrofits. Four are low-dust formulas and three are treated only with borate.