GAB Report library
Products
-
Jam-Packed Session at West Coast Green 09: Alex Wilson’s Talk on The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: a Look at Green & Not-So-Green Building Products
I have subscribed to the Environmental Building News for the last 15 years and it is my favorite subscription that I read religiously. I appreciate it for presenting good, solid research and am a huge fan of Mr. Alex Wilson, the Executive Editor of Environmental Building News and the GreenSpec® Directory, and the Founder and…
-
West Coast Green 09: Innovations, Ideas, and Opportunities Shared
It was a crisp, fall morning with the sun shimmering on the San Francisco Bay—what a way to start off my first of three days at West Coast Green on October 1, 2009. As I walked through the exhibit hall to reach the keynote session, I could feel the buzz of excitement as exhibitors were…
-
Can Robotic Manufacturing Help Us Build in a Greener Way?
Walking through many a jobsite, I have always felt at home with the smell of wood dust, the whirring noise of circular saws, and welding sparks flashing in the distance. These features are results of materials being cut and/or fabricated on site, and often times lead to unnecessary waste, whether it is due to un-intention…
-
Ingenious Two-in-One Radiant Panel Structural Subfloor
To work on a project in Antarctica—how awesome would that be? A team of engineers was charged with the task of upgrading the heating system in the U.S. Antarctic Program Building #155. They decided that radiant floor heating was the correct solution, but they required a system that would provide reliable warmth, be efficient with…
-
Award Winning Two-in-One Solar Roofing System Launched at PCBC 2009
The PCBC 2009 featured 400+ exhibitors but only Custom-Bilt Metals won the Cool Product Competition in the “Saves Energy” category with their FusionSolar system. I had the opportunity to discuss the product with two of the owners, Joe and Steve Chiovare. The What: Custom-Bilt Metals, a manufacturer of metal roofing and rain gutter products, has…
-
Simple Yet Smart Technology Helps Conserve Water
Having lived in California for the past 26 years, I know what it is like to go through droughts – it is scary. The most recent period of insufficient rainfall has forced public utilities to urge water conservation at all levels and enforce water use restrictions in many areas including the city in which I…
-
Simplify Solar with the First Curved Solar Roofing Tile
After two long days of non-stop hustling between seminars and product exhibits at the AIA (American Institute of Architects) 2009 National Convention and Expo, I was on my last stretch of speed walking through 800 plus vendor stalls. Fatigued and with a growling stomach, I was about to call it a day until I saw…
-
Simplify Rainwater Harvesting with HOGs
How can you beat a name like Rainwater HOG (HOG)? When I walked through the March 2009 PG&E Water Conservation Showcase in San Francisco, my attention was drawn to a group of tall, handsome, and eye-catching Australians. They were 6 feet tall and dark green, with the word “HOG” subtly inscribed on them. The What:…
-
The First Green Replacement for the Concrete Block
Four years ago, I asked a contractor and architect whether or not there exist concrete masonry units (CMU) with recycled content. “CMU is CMU, just use the standard specs,” they said. Fast forward to 2009, while speed-walking through the exhibit aisles at the 2009 Green California Summit and Exposition, I came upon Integrity Block. The…