materials

The Photovoltaic roof consists of a set of solar panels assembled to cover the surface of the roof of a house or a building. Don't confuse it with the pool solar heaters, they are used to hot water and not to generate electricity.

There are no moving parts, maintenance requirements are reduced to the minimum terms and consist, mostly in periodic checks of the accumulator battery.

The photovoltaic modules that make up the solar panels, transform the energy received from the sun into electricity used for domestic use in partial or total replacement of conventional supply.

This solar system is feasible even on complex already built but is considerably cheaper, obviously, if already part of the plan for a new building.

Of course, the main advantage of these systems is in the use of an inexhaustible energy source, free and clean. The energy produced by photovoltaic panels is included in the existing electrical system and connected to the supplier of electricity.

Therefore, a practical example is that when it produced more energy than required, the system can assign an energy surplus to the electricity distributor.

The market is increasing its penetration, the experts for the magazine "World Renewable Energy" have estimated a change of 1000 kW in 1990, 2000 in 1993, 7000 in 1996, 36,000 in 1999, 60 thousand in 2000, 800 thousand in 2010.

EcoRock's not out yet, so it looks like it will be DensArmor Plus® Paperless Drywall by Georgia-Pacific for the prototype. You can pick it up easily in most Lowe's.

Again, cost at Green Modern Kits is everything: we celebrate affordable great design!

To compare prices, I trundled over to Lowe's and see the following:

Georgia Pacific 11/32" 4' x 8' Ply-Bead Classic: $16.97

Ok, so that's a standard plywood solution.

Now for cheap-o traditional drywall:
1/2 4x8 $6.75

And the DensArmor Plus® Paperless Drywall?
1/2 4x8 $10.98

And oh yes, I checked, it is actually in stock in my local store.

I will also mention that the cute guy I spoke with paused and said,

"And just so you know, if you work with that stuff, be careful with it! Me and my buddies had to unload it and my arms were on fire!"

"Oh you poor dear! Yeah, that's probably because there's fiberglass in it."

So don't forget:
It may be paperless, but
(cue in Bryan Adams here) it Cuts Like A Knife!
(na na na naaaaah na nah, na na...)

Hello,

We are a high end furniture manufacturer looking to move into the green or organic / "eco-friendly" furniture space and become certified sellers of this type of furniture. We are just beginning our search and need a good and reliable source or sources (suppliers) of materials...

These include:

Sustainable wood / hardwood
Soy glue
Latex
Organic foam
Sustainable metal springs, etc.

If you are or know of a great source for these items, please let us know.

Thanks in advance!

Nelson
nfreytes@gmail.com

Turning Poetry Into Material
by Daniela Morell

Abhinand Lath has transformed the solid wall into a glimmering surface that responds to movements and colors around it. His company, SensiTile, makes panels from optic light channels that are embedded in concrete. The result, inspired by an eleventh century Japanese poem about sunlight streaming through a bamboo forest, is a visually kinetic surface. ...

More at: http://www.metropolismag.com/cda/story.php?artid=3041

Image: Courtesy SensiTile

The yearly GreenBuild Expo doesn't start until November 7th in Chicago and we already have a great update to pass on to you! Officially launching at this year's event, Green2Green's beta website version is up and running.

Built by GreenBlue, an organization founded by William McDonough of Cradle to Cradle fame, Green2Green "features comprehensive information regarding green building products, materials and practices. The site offers side-by-side comparisons of products using a variety of environmental, technical and economic criteria." The site also features expert advice, forums, direct feedback from users on all products, and dealer locations.

Green2Green is guided by an expansive advisory team, which Building Green TV's very own COO Max Mead is a part of. According to the G2G website, the team is compired of members who "guide key decisions about data presentation, green building issues and policy."

"Green2Green has been developed in response to the growing demand for green building materials and the difficult process of choosing among so many products and possibilities," says the GreenBlue organization's website. "Together, we strive to maintain a balance of perspective, addressing the very practical day-to-day decisions an architect, builder or homeowner faces, and the limitless theoretical framework that inspires innovation."

Sonia’s Marine-Grade Wood 25 Tools for Greener Living

As the measures of sustainability grow even more sophisticated, these products rise to the occasion.

By Paul Makovsky

Going green is no longer just a fad. It’s a sign that more people realize the individual part each of us plays in reducing our overall impact on the planet. The daily actions we can take have long been understood, including buying dur­able water bottles instead of disposable ones and bringing your own reusable shopping bag to the grocery store. However, when it comes to long-term design decisions such as product selections, matters are a bit more complex.

While most designers know to opt for low-impact materials with recycled content, it is finally becoming easier to consider the full life cycle. Suppliers are making their environmental management systems known and are advertising the sustainable sources of their wares. Many sponsor take-back, reuse, and recycling programs. Another encouraging sign is the increased provision of “environmental product declarations,” which measure performance against numerous criteria. The selections culled for these pages go beyond basic sustainability—in both style and execution.

More at: http://www.metropolismag.com/cda/story.php?artid=2995

Finding just the right materials for your new kitchen cabinets or dining room floor can be more difficult than finding a hydrogen car on the road. This common problem for sustainably-concerned consumers is on the road to being solved, thanks to a new online directory of eco-materials.

Based in both San Francisco and Providence, Rhode Island, Ecolect is not only a listing of green materials, but also aims to be a community for people to share ideas and sustainable design experiences. Though the online directory recently launched, it already features an extensive collection of eco-materials and products.

Didn't find a material you already know of? Take the time to suggest it to the Ecolect folks; they'll review your suggestion and, if it meets their green criteria, they'll add it to their ever-expanding browsable listing.

Are you free tonight? Are you in the Bay Area? You should drop by Ecolet's San Francisco Launch Party at the Swissnex Event Space (730 Montgomery St) from 6pm-9pm - there will be drinks, products, samples, and a drawing for a gift certificate to the Branch store.

With a wide variety of sustainable, newly-manufactured supplies, it's easy to forget that there is an extensive number of outlets with rare and salvaged options.

The Building Materials Reuse Association, a non-profit based in Pennsylvania, is an "educational organization whose mission is to facilitate building deconstruction and the reuse/recycling of recovered building materials."

Open to a wide variety of members who want to help support and expand the availability of reuseable materials, the BMRA's most popular resource is their online directory. Nearly 200 different companies are listed throughout the US and Canada - most of which both receive and sell building trimmings of all kinds.

Heading to the West Coast Green event later this month in San Francisco? Check out the People's Choice Award for the 2007 Lifecycle Building Challenge - you can submit your vote from the expanse of entries online before the event.

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