February 2007
It's a brave new year. PATH has seen the technologies with the most promise for our homes as we seek greater durability and strength, while making better use of our resources.
The Top 10 Technologies are selected by PATH due to their strengths in one or more of the following areas: quality and durability; energy efficiency; environmental performance; safety and disaster mitigation; and affordability. Click on the image or links below to learn more about the 2007 PATH Top Ten, or download the Overview (PDF).
- Mold Resistant Gypsum
Imagine the worst. Now imagine walls that can survive the flood. Treated gypsum wallboard products resist mold because they won't absorb moisture as easily as typical gypsum board. The paperless surface does not support mold growth. View the Technology Inventory Listing or download a Fact Sheet (PDF).
- Solar Water Heating
We allow that harnessing energy from the sun to heat water is not new. Solar water heaters have been commercially available since the 1800s. But now more than ever, they're an environmentally sound way to reduce energy bills. View the Technology Inventory Listing or download a Fact Sheet (PDF).
- Recycled Concrete Substitutes and Aggregates
Byproducts of the industrialized world have found a better final resting place in alternative concrete aggregate. Recycled materials such as granulated coal ash, blast furnace slag and various solid wastes like fiberglass and granulated plastics can substitute for sand, gravel and stones. (Look, Mom! No mining!) View the Technology Inventory Listing or download a Fact Sheet (PDF).
- Combined Heat and Power (CHP)
It's not just for isolationists anymore! Whether you want to be entirely "off the grid" or just supplement your utility power, CHP systems can supply electricity much more efficiently than power plants. Using fuel such as natural gas to produce heat and electricity simultaneously, a CHP system can act as a built-in emergency generator when the grid goes down. The electricity can power any household device such as lights and appliances, and the heat produced can provide water heating and/or space heating. Home-sized units range in capacity from about 1 kW to 6 kW and are about the size of a major appliance. View the Technology Inventory Listing or download a Fact Sheet (PDF).
- Horizontal Axis Washer/Dryer
The two-in-one washer/dryer runs automatically from wash to dry: no more throwing clothes from one machine to the other. The compact size makes it perfect for apartments and condominiums, and it costs less than two separate units. It runs quietly and requires no venting, so it can be installed almost anywhere. The high efficiency horizontal-axis washer reduces water and energy consumption, and the high RPM spin cycle means the dryer uses less energy to dry the clothes. View the Technology Inventory Listing or download a Fact Sheet (PDF).
- Hydrophilic, Impact-Resistant Windows
Now you can get self-cleaning and glare-reducing windows that also reduce the risk of window failure during tornadoes and hurricanes. A window coating causes water to run off the glass surfaces like quicksilver, preventing permanent water spots and making the glazing easier to clean. And glass laminated with composites provides enough strength to allow windows to withstand high winds, projectiles, or even bullets. View the Technology Inventory Listing or download a Fact Sheet (PDF).
- Super-Sized (Vertical) ICFs
Vertical ICFs (Insulating Concrete Forms) have all the energy efficiency, strength and building speed benefits of conventional ICF walls, plus a bonus: they go up faster and easier because fewer pieces are assembled on site. The wall sections are sturdier than conventional ICF walls and require less bracing. Composed of two polystyrene panels held together by plastic or steel I-beams and filled with concrete, vertical ICF panels form straight, energy-efficient walls. View the Technology Inventory Listing or download a Fact Sheet (PDF).
- Induction Cooktops
Induction offers flexible, safe and energy-efficient cooking. Go from extremely low to extremely high settings and back again nearly instantly. The stovetop doesn't actually heat up or radiate heat from its surface because the heating elements under the ceramic-glass surface use electricity to produce a magnetic field that heats only the cooking container. Food heats much faster, which saves energy while pleasing hungry mobs. Induction cooking is about 90 percent energy efficient, while gas and electric are about 50 and 60 percent efficient, respectively. View the Technology Inventory Listing or download a Fact Sheet (PDF).
- GPS for Land Development
This satellite-controlled software simplifies site grading, therefore dramatically reducing labor and material costs. The software assists excavation machines to more efficiently and accurately cut and fill grade while also reducing the potential for soil erosion. It eliminates the need for grade stakes, while letting the operator know exactly where the machine is, and its relation to the final grade. View the Technology Inventory Listing or download a Fact Sheet (PDF).
- Permeable Pavers & Pavement
Look closely for the environmental halo: rainwater seeps through these pavement systems and filters naturally through soil on its way to groundwater aquifers and surface waters. That means less unfiltered, nitrate-laden stormwater running off paved surfaces into drainage gutters. And since engineered curb and gutter storm drainage systems are costly to design and build, permeable pavement systems can mean lower construction costs for developers or municipalities. View the Technology Inventory Listing or download a Fact Sheet (PDF).