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.
No comments:
Post a Comment