During Greenbuild in Toronto, CertainTeed Corporation introduced a new solar photovoltaic system called the Apollo Solar Roofing System .  Apollo skips the rack and mount for a seamless profile that integrates with standard roof shingles.  Each 12-pound module has 14 high-efficiency, polycrystalline silicon solar cells that soak up the sun and convert it to energy to power the underlying home. Apollo “ fully integrates with roofing shingles for a clean, seamless appearance ” and the “ lightweight design does not require structural reinforcement or evaluation, ” according to a press release. ...

NyloDeck is a new(ish) composite deck board made with 100% recycled, post-consumer nylon carpet fibers and Elastopor rigid polyurethane foam from BASF.  The material doesn’t include wood or PVC like some other composites, and it’s made to be natural looking, light, easy to handle, and resistent to moisture, mold, and termites. Read More: NyloDeck Made Sans Wood and PVC

Jaga Climate Systems , a manufacturer of energy-efficient and designer radiator systems, announced at Greenbuild the expanded availability of products in the US.  Jaga has built up a US distributor network, so architects, designers, and contractors can access products through representatives in California, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Utah, and Washington. Jaga has two product lines : the low H20 Energy Savers and the stylized Eye Catchers.  Using heat exchange technology, the Energy Savers...

San Marco USA studio, located in the Summerour building in Midtown Atlanta In Atlanta, the door to San Marco — a purveyor of natural paints, plasters, and cements — is propped open all day, welcoming a never-ending stream of visitors.  An architect brings his cabinetmaker by for a demonstration of their wood varnish.   A young couple pops in to report how beautifully their bungalow’s paint job turned out.  A flooring contractor spends several mornings perfecting a lime-washed effect for his client’s hardwood floors.   I, too, have become a regular visitor; first drawn in by their...

Tennessee-based Crossville, Inc. announced at Greenbuild this week that the company is the first tile manufacturer in the US to achieve certification of its waste recycling programs through Scientific Certification Systems , or SCS.  This certification is third-party verification of the fact that all tile produced by Crossville will contain a certain amount of recycled content, according to a company press release. For example, Mixology , a wall tile that replicates cast metal, has 50% post-consumer recycled content. See the original article here: Crossville Exhibits Eco-Friendly Tile Lines

InterfaceFLOR’s new introduction, Raw is composed of 100% recycled yarn. It contains 40% less embodied energy and requires 85% less water to produce than carpet made with only 11% recycled fiber View original post here: Get the Complete Picture at Greenbuild

If you saw last night’s episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition , which I had the fun opportunity to work on, you might have noticed several green elements in the home.  The home has water-efficient Kohler products, rooftop solar, a green trellis and solar wall, etc.  It also has lots of copper products — due to the connection with Kennecott and Rio Tinto — such as this Japanese-style tub made with 99.7% pure recycled-content copper.  The 200-pound, hand-hammered ofuro made an appearance on TV by donation from Premier Copper Products .  The fully recyclable tub retails for $9,999....

The biennial Solar Decathlon finished today and teams will begin the grunt work of taking their homes back or sending them off if the homes were acquired.  As we’ve done in the past, here’s a short roundup of all 19 Solar Decathlon homes for 2011 .  The competition fosters the design, build, and operation of net-zero energy homes that are cost-effective, energy-efficient, and attractive.  Maryland won the entire competition, and Appalachian State was given the People’s Choice Award .  Appalachian State University The Solar Homestead — www.thesolarhomestead.com Florida International...

After all the scores have been gathered and added, the Department of Energy today announced that the overall winner of Solar Decathlon 2011 is Maryland for WaterShed .  Team Purdue finished in second place with INhome , and Team New Zealand finished in third place with First Light . Solar Decathlon Director Richard King said, “ Maryland’s Watershed is a beautiful house, judged first place in Architecture, which also performed impeccably in measured contests Read the article: The Solar Decathlon Winner – #SD2011