Thursday, April 18, 2013

Introducing Four Interesting Green Products


1. Green Product Sub-category: Insulating Concrete Forms

            In general, Insulating Concrete Forms (ICFs) are used to make insulated concrete walls in a more efficient way than normal forming. ICFs can’t be disassembled after curing of the concrete which means that they are permanent forms. This product is typically made from expanded polystyrene (EPS) foams, extruded polystyrene (XPS) or a composite of wood waste or EPS beads and Portland cement. Also, we can stack them together without mortar before pouring concrete. This can help in reducing the amount of concrete that is needed for the final wall. Furthermore, their insulating performance can be considered as their best environmental benefit. Regarding the tests that have been conducted, it has been shown that most of them have R-values around R-20. However, there may be some exaggerations about the thermal mass benefits of ICFs.



Among different types of insulated concrete forms we can use Boost-R panels which have more R-value (R-30 and above). Reward Wall Systems provides this type of ICF. Also, we can choose between a variety of densities and thicknesses as well as EPS with neopor. Furthermore, special notches and tapered edges that are implemented on the panels can provide better locking and easier installation for the labor. Below is a table that shows the R-values for different Boost-R panel sizes.



2. Green Product Sub-category: Metal-Framed Skylights

            There are a lot of energy waste issues for the conventional metal-framed skylights such as high thermal loss of glazing or non-thermally broken frames, undesirable heat gain that increases the demand for cooling functions. Generally, prismatic and active skylighting systems utilize implanted prisms, reflectors or sun-tracking systems to increase daylight entry in different day times. Specifically during early-morning or late-afternoon hours that the sun beams have low angle and lower direct sunlight enters the building from skylights.



In addition, some skylights can provide high performance glazing (triple-glazing), low-conductivity gas-fills, low-e suspended films, low-e coatings, etc. Some skylights also include translucent insulation materials such as translucent fiberglass, silica aerogel and thermochromatic, electrochromatic or photochromatic covers to change and improve the solar transmission specifications due to heat, electric current or sunlight. Also, some skylights implement thermally broken frames that considerably reduce thermal bridging. 


Furthermore, a few skylights utilize advanced fiber-optic technology to lead daylight to spaces that cannot be benefited from direct skylight or several stories below the roof level. However, this technology is not yet on the market widely. We can see the general function of these devices in the picture below.



3. Green Product Sub-category: Recycled Paints

            As we know, the main component of recycled paints is leftover paint from other consumers. Although, recycled paint has less reputation in the market, there are different levels of recycling content and quality that might be suitable and can be used for specific jobs. Besides the environmental benefits of using recycled paint, there are also some financial benefits for the projects as it can be found with a quite cheap price ranging from $0 to $10 per gallon.
            This product is usually made by regional waste management agencies which generally gather leftover paint, categorize it by depth and type of color, filter the impurities and make it ready for use. Therefore, the agencies are free of paying more for the leftover paint disposal. However, the biggest issue with using recycled paint is the limitation in color selection (typically brown, beige or white).
            Furthermore, using recycled paint needs to take appropriate examination procedures so that the final product has the minimum criteria of a suitable paint. Also, it may need to add extra virgin materials to reach the specifications needed. Kelly-Moore Paint Company provides recycled paint since 1992 and it has a good quality among the others in the market. Typically, their products are made from at least %50 leftover recycled paint. Also, they provide sixteen different standard colors.




4. Green Product Sub-category: Vapor-Retarders

            Vapor retarders are some equipped sheets that can be added either to interior or exterior parts of a building to prevent moisture moving due to diffusion into roofs, walls, foundation, etc. Also, it has three different types which are vapor impermeable, vapor semi-impermeable, vapor semi-permeable. Typically, materials with vapor permeability greater than 10 perms are considered to be vapor permeable.



In addition, it should be taken into consideration that vapor retarders placement should always be done in the context of the vapor permeability of the other materials used. So, the whole system can provide an appropriate vapor retarding function for the building. Therefore, for functioning more efficiently, it needs a comprehensive design of vapor retarding for the whole system.

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