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In This Issue:
INTERNATIONAL BUILDERS’ SHOW TO DEBUT NEW TECHNOLOGY PAVILION: NEXTBUILD:
According to a recent release (09/08/06), nextBUILD™, the newly-renamed technology component of the National Association of Home Builders’ (NAHB) International Builders’ Show (IBS), will feature more than 200 exhibitors offering both the top technologies for homes and back-end office technologies to help builders improve their business management processes. The 2007 IBS will be held in the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla., from February 7-10,. For more information, read the release or visit www.buildersshow.com.
INHABITAT.COM’S TOP TEN ECO-INNOVATIONS:
Inhabitat.com recently published its Top Ten Eco-Innovations (09/06/06) as part of its Green Building 101 series, a weekly column that provides information on how to better understand green building. The innovations include living roofs and facades, which are building surfaces covered in living material in order to improve insulation, climate control, and retention of storm runoff; building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), which enable solar technology to become integral to the building’s envelope; light-emitting diodes (LEDs), which offer a lifespan of 20 years and do not give off heat; electrochromic windows, which go from transparent to opaque with the flip of a switch; sunlight transport systems, which use fiber optics to bring natural light to dark areas of a home; and insulated daylighting panels, or translucent panels for skylights, walls, or entire roofs that let in natural light, while also offering insulation and privacy. Other innovations in the top-ten list include energy monitoring devices, rain collection and greywater systems, and structural insulated panels. To learn more about these products, read the column, or visit the PATH Technology Inventory on ToolBase.org.
HOUSE OF INNOVATION GOES ON DISPLAY:
The first House of Innovation, a collaboration between Popular Science and Sunset magazines, reveals just how far technology can take home living, according to a recent article in the Contra Costa Times (Ann Tatko-Peterson, 09/08/06). The 6,500 square-foot home features numerous design and product innovations, including windows that turn from clear glass to opaque with the click of a button, a touch-screen panel that pipes music through speakers throughout the house, and robotics that clean the floors and carpets and mow the lawn. The home’s lights are controlled with radio frequencies instead of hardwires and the bathrooms feature tankless toilets and a digitized shower. The House of Innovation will be open to the public in Alamo, Calif., from September 8 until November 12. For more information, read the article. Many of the innovative technologies featured in the House of Innovation are also featured on the ToolBase website.
CALIFORNIAN HOMES TO HAVE SOLAR OPTION BY 2011:
According to a recent article in Realty Times (Broderick Perkins, 08/28/06), Californians will have the option of solar power by the turn of the decade, thanks to the “Million Solar Roofs Initiative,” which was signed into law in August. The initiative will make solar power a standard option on all new single-family homes in developments of 50 or more units beginning January 1, 2011. New homebuyers who forgo traditional new home options for a solar system will be rewarded with a near zero energy bill. Additionally, according to the article, solar-power improvements could boost home values by tens of thousands of dollars. To learn more, read the article.
NAHB RESEARCH CENTER BREAKS GROUND ON STATE-OF-THE-ART LABORATORY TESTING AND MARKET RESEARCH FACILITY:
Construction of the NAHB Research Center’s new, state-of the-art product testing laboratory began this month. According to a recent release (09/06/06), the expansion will include the addition of advanced testing equipment to broaden the company's capabilities as an accredited test laboratory, quality assurance and certified product listing agency. The two-story, 42,000 square-foot facility, will triple the size of the existing laboratory and house all the Research Center's product testing and certification activities, as well as the majority of its market research work. The lab’s new capabilities will include large-scale thermal testing, acoustic performance testing, and two-story shear wall testing. Its increased size will also facilitate testing and simulation of real-world conditions, such as wind-driven rain and wind-blown debris on whole-house models. And nearly 1,000 square feet of space will be dedicated to a sophisticated market research facility, including an observation gallery overlooking the testing area, which will allow real-time observation of products in use for focus group sessions. The Research Center's existing laboratory will continue to operate during construction, which is scheduled for completion in May 2007. For more information, read the release.
MOLD PREVENTION METHODS FOR BUILDING INDUSTRY GROWING:
A recent article in the San Francisco Chronicle (Kevin Burnett, 09/09/06), highlights two building industry advances in mold prevention. One innovation, Cosella-Dorken's Delta-Dry house wrap, is a semi-rigid, heavy-duty, silver-coated polyethylene membrane extruded in a waffle-like pattern that, when installed over exterior plywood or OSB sheathing, creates channels for water to drain and air to ventilate both the interior and exterior sides of the building membrane. The other, a mold prevention system introduced by American Mold Guard, involves cleaning installed lumber with baking soda in a process similar to sandblasting, then treating the structure with silicone polymer-based anti-microbial solution. To learn more, read the article.
SELF-CLEANING GLASS REMOVES DIRT WITH SUN AND RAIN:
A recent article in the Toronto Star (Vicky Sanderson, 09/02/06) investigates new windows that eliminate the need for cleaning exterior windows. Pilkington Activ self-cleaning glass works by using ultraviolet rays from natural light to break down dirt that accumulates on the surface. When rain or water hits the glass, it spreads evenly over the surface, the dirt runs off and the glass dries quickly and spotlessly. After an extended period without rain, the surface may become so dirty that UV light can't get through; however, the glass can be cleaned with warm soapy water to reactivate the self-cleaning process. The glass costs a bout 20 percent more than conventional windows. To learn more about this and other low-maintenance technologies for the home, read the article.