Page 20 - Green Builder MagazineJan-Feb 2019 HOTY Issue
P. 20
GREEN INNOVATIONS OF THE YEAR
BY GREEN BUILDER STAFF
They say that necessity is the mother of invention. That’s held true in the green building
industry, as contractors, manufacturers and retailers consistently innovate products designed
to solve issues such as energy waste, regulatory compliance and indoor air quality. Here are
12 products chosen by Green Builder for outstanding and innovative design and performance.
GRAND WINNER: EcoSmart Solution SMART PLUMBING:
American Standard
COURTESY OF ECOSMART
GEOTHERMAL ENERGY SYSTEM
COSMART SOLUTION OFFERS an answer to a longstanding question: “How do
you build aordable, sustainable homes and communities?” The answer is found
in Whisper Valley in Austin, Texas. Although geothermal energy is considered
E a very practical and eective way to naturally heat and cool a home, upfront COURTESY OF AMERICAN STANDARD
infrastructure costs make the system cost prohibitive. Many homebuyers are priced out
of their ability to participate in sustainable living.
EcoSmart Solution uses an innovative and community-wide GeoGrid to combine
geothermal heating and cooling into a system that cuts a home’s power consumption by
60 to 70 percent. The process utilizes a loop eld that enables geothermal-generated power VORMAX PLUS SELF-CLEANING TOILET
to be shared among multiple residences, keeping costs down for owners. It’s installed at HE VORMAX PLUS toilet from
the start of development as a part of the community’s infrastructure, making it possible American Standard is a high-e-
for builders to add on homes to the system as they are built—instead of installing a ciency, self-cleaning toilet that has
separate system for each unit—dropping project development costs dramatically. T earned WaterSense-certification
High-eciency Bosch appliances, Google Nest smart home and photovoltaics generate from the U.S. Environmental Protection
the additional energy needed to power the home. Pairing EcoSmart’s infrastructure and Agency (EPA) for providing high perfor-
responsible energy behavior has resulted in Whisper Valley homes being priced from the low mance while using 20 percent less water
$200,000s to the low $400,000s—a much more aordable price range for all potential buyers. than traditional 1.6 gallons per ¢ush (gpf)
For more information: http://ecosmartsolution.com/ toilets. It has achieved the highest bulk
removal score on the Maximum Perfor -
mance (MaP) test, an independent report
of toilet performance, successfully ¢ushing
COURTESY OF WHISPER VALLEY VorMax Plus FreshInfuser cleaner, hidden in
1,000 grams (2.2 pounds) using 1.28 gpf.
an easy-to-access compartment in the seat,
is released with each ¢ush to freshen and
hard water build up.
Playing the (air loop) field. EcoSmart Solution’s GeoGrid geothermal heating and cooling clean the bowl, and prevent staining and
network links multiple houses to one system, drastically cutting expenses for everyone. For more information: https://bit.ly/2TFOPge
18 GREEN BUILDER January/February 2019 www.greenbuildermedia.com
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