Allow the sun to power your home or business by using Open Energy Corp’s solar roof tiles.

With an Energy crisis on the brink in the US, consumers are asking more questions and demanding responsibility and answers.  Open Energy Corp is offering solutions to homeowners, business owners, and institutions alike: solar roof tiles.

Open Energy’s solar tiles will work on flat as well as sloped roofs.  Their solar roof tiles offer quiet & reliable power generation.  The power your roof will be generating is clean, safe, and of course, free, thanks to the sun.  For those of you with an aesthetic eye, the tiles come in three colors: slate gray, terracotta, and brown, to help integrate with your existing roof materials.

Using the solar roof tiles will significantly lower your energy bill each month.  You will also find tax incentives and rebates available to increase your savings.  Should you produce more power than you need, your local power and energy company will actually buy the excess power from you.   Adding to the savings, these long lasting tiles are maintenance free.  Should you desire to resell your property in the future, the solar tiles will raise the value of your property.

Not only are Open Energy’s solar roof tiles great on your pocketbook, but they will positively benefit the environment as well.  There are no emissions or pollutants emitted from Open Energy’s solar roof tiles.

Other considerations:

• Should you reside in a windy area, know that with a wind clip, Open Energy’s solar tiles will endure winds of up to 125 mph.
• For those living in areas with winter snow, the tiles can handle snow loads of up to 200 lbs per square foot.
• The tiles are light in weight at 14 lbs per tile.
• With 80% power output, there is a 25 year warranty on Open Energy’s solar tiles.
• Tiles are easily installed.

For more Open Energy Corp’s specs and details, check out on Open Energy Corp’s site.  You’ll find a page with their residential project portfolio, that has photos and a data sheet for the project shown.  Read more about each of the Open Energy Corp products here.  Finally, learn more about Open Energy’s vision, identity, profile, strategy, and history here.

In some of the project photos, you have to look intently to see the solar tiles.  Efficiency, simplicity, and beauty; solar power becomes a reality with Open Energy Corp’s solar roof tiles.

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PCBC, the largest home builder show, is coming to San Francisco next week and the announcements are starting to flow.

Members of the home building industry have voted and named the “coolest” homebuilding products in the annual Cool Products contest. PCBC 2008, the largest PCBC, the largest home builder show is on it’s way to San Francisco, and the announcements are starting to flow. Today members of the home building industry have voted and named the “coolest” homebuildinghomebuilders show on the West Coast, organizes the annual Cool Products contest for the more than 600 exhibitors at the conference.

Exhibitors entered more than 125 products in three categories – Consumer, Green and Industry products. Five products were chosen for each category by 679 home building professionals who voted online. All companies, products and booth information is available at www.pcbc.com/cool.

Here are the Cool Products from the Green Category, and stay tuned as GetWithGreen writes live from PCBC in San Francisco…

2008 Cool Products – Green Category:

1. Rinnai Corporation’s Rinnai LS Series Tankless Water Heater – Offers 30% to 50% energy savings over traditional tank-style units and can supply hot water when you need it, for as long as you need it, while contributing to a greener environment.

2. Eagle Roofing Products’ Eagle Solar Roof powered by SolarSave Integrated Solutions – This solar system integrates seamlessly with Eagle concrete roof tile and maintains the aesthetics of the roof, maintains the integrity of the roof system, prevents leaks and protects the home or building.

3. Cree LED Lighting Solutions LR6 Light Bulb – Has a 20-year life span (50,000 hours under normal use) and 85% less energy than a conventional incandescent and less than half that of a comparable fluorescent.

4. Akeena Solar’s Andalay Solar Panels – Uses a Lego-like, snap-in-place process to lie flat on rooftops. The Andalay panels have 70% fewer parts than a conventional system and 20% fewer rooftop penetrations.

5. The new GE Profile SmartDispense Frontload Washer and Dryer – Uses as little as 10 gallons of water and stores and automatically dispenses detergent and fabric softener based on each load’s size, soil level, water hardness and fabric or cycle type.

Here are a couple others from the “Industry Category”:

2008 Cool Products – Industry Category:

1. FAFCO SunGrabber Solar Hot Water System – The lightweight, quick-installation solar hot water system can easily bring about savings of up to 50% on water heating bills for the homeowner. The entire system fits in a single box and weighs just 70 pounds.

4. Panasonic Home & Environment Company WhisperComfort ERV – Ventilates polluted air with fresh air and transfers up to 70% of the heat and moisture to the air going out.

About PCBC

PCBC is the largest regional builders’ show in the nation. Held annually at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, PCBC features an extensive display of product innovations from more than 600 of the industry’s leading manufacturers and suppliers and a four-day educational conference with more than 60 keynotes, seminars and workshops in fields ranging from business strategies to marketing to product design to applied technology. PCBC 2008 will be held June 24-27 and registration is now under way. For more information, visit www.pcbc.com, or call 800-956-SHOW.

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We don’t cover the topic of “green roofs” that often at GetWithGreen.com.  Our focus is on the more common upgrade to your existing roof, while doing it with products that are more eco-friendly than asphalt for example.  We do get questions from time to time about “green roofs”, and when we found this interesting article we thought we should share it with you.

The team over at Facility Blog recently wrote about the topic, and their write-up is a quick read that answers some of the most common questions about a green roof (e.g. How often do you water it?  Will it make my roof leak?).   The article is focused more on buildings, but we believe it is still educational for most GetWithGreen.com homeowners who have an interest in green roofs.  Take a look at Common Questions About Green Roofs.

Related Articles on GetWithGreen.com

- Looking for an eco-friendly alternative for your flat roof?
- Eco-friendly roofing materials

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Fall is here and the leaves are starting to fill your gutters, unless you have RainTube that is.  We covered this product several months ago, and it remains one of our favorites here at GetWithGreen.com. 

This week the RainTube team garnered several awards at the Green Building Industry Awards.  Read on below, and make sure you check out RainTube’s product made from 100% recycled materials…

RainTube product recognized for outstanding achievement in environmental sustainability — Wins Four International Green Building Industry Awards.
 
GLI Systems Inc. of Jacksonville, Oregon, manufacturer of the RainTube Gutter Protection System, has been awarded an unprecedented four 2007 Green Building Pages Benchmark Sustainability Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Environmental and Social Sustainability.  The awards were presented at the US Green Building Council ?Build Green Exposition? in Chicago, the world?s largest building products exposition focused on sustainable, eco-friendly building products and methods.  RainTube won in four of seven categories including:

• The top award ? The Sustainable Product Award ? for the highest overall product sustainability rating,
• The Global Climate Change Award,
• The End of Product Life Award, and
• The Installation, Use and Maintenance Award. 

RainTube was recognized for exemplary performance according to the Green Building Pages rigorous Benchmarking Sustainability evaluation criteria.  The Green Building Pages is a leading building products certification organization that provides consumers, architects and building contractors with internet-based guides and resources supporting sustainable building design and information about green building products.  Green building, an ecologically sound method of residential and commercial construction, has become a major area of interest and concern among consumers and the building industry worldwide.  The Green Building Pages certification database, which is consistent with the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) criteria, placed RainTube in the lead position among the sustainable building products of some of the nation?s leading manufacturers. RainTube use also generates LEEDS points for builders and owners seeking ?green? certification for their projects.

RainTube is an effective, low-cost gutter protection system made in the USA from 100% post-consumer recycled materials.  RainTube helps protect homes, apartments and commercial buildings from water damage from clogged gutters, reduces fire risk from gutter debris in compliance with new fire prevention building codes, reduces maintenance and promotes cleaner rain water harvesting systems.

Steve Spratt, co-founder of GLI, said ?We are very proud to be recognized at the Green Building Exposition with these important awards.  The fact that we are the only ?green? product in the gutter protection industry is a source of great satisfaction to everyone in our company.  Meeting the high criteria of the benchmark Product Sustainability Award set a standard we will continue to emphasize in all our business operations.?  Spratt went on to note ?Green Building standards are increasingly important to consumers today.  It is gratifying that RainTube has been recognized for making its contribution to the planet while helping homeowners preserve the value of their buildings.? 

Checkout more information on RainTube here at GetWithGreen.com.

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Do you have a flat roof, or an area of your roof that is flat?   Some of us do, and when you talk to almost any roofer they will give you standard options such as tar and gravel, or large asphalt sheets.  Both of which are not good for decreasing urban heat.   Well there is an option that is a bit greener.  Foam.  Yes a foam roof. 

Cedric, and his wife Mai, in Redwood Shores, CA, recently installed their foam roof as an alternative to tar and gravel.  Using a product from Sierra Spray Foam Roofing the couple simply removed the gravel from their existing room, and applied the foam product from Sierra Spray. 

 
                    OLD ROOF                                                              NEW ROOF

GetWithGreen.com does not know the chemical breakdown (environmental friendliness) of the actual foam contents itself, or its sustainability, but we like the other eco-friendly positives that Cedric and Mai talk about in their blog:

• We didn?t need to rip out the existing roof, just to remove the gravel
• The roof is white so it is a ?cool roof?, keeping our house cooler in summer and avoiding the ?urban heating? effect of dark roofs
• The foam material provides both water-protection and insulation, thus improving the energy efficiency of our house
• In 10 to 15 years when the roof needs to be redone, we simply need to add another layer of foam to give it another 10 to 15 years of life!

Cedric also tells GetWithGreen.com that the insulation value of the foam roof is extremely high because there is no air circulation at all — the whole roof is one piece.  The effective insulation of this roof is much higher than equivalent R value using traditional technologies that let some air circulate at the junctions between the insulation boards.   The roof can also be walked on.

Pricing:  $6 per square foot

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It’s been available for sometime, and we wanted to bring it to your attention.   Wellington Polymer Technology, Inc. offers a composite roofing product that resembles the look of an antique cedar shake roof.  The product is called Enviroshake®. 

The company claims Enviroshake is “predominantly” made from reclaimed materials such as post industrial plastics, recycled rubber elastomers, and cellulosic fibre materials.  The composite formula is designed for durability, UV protection, wind and hail resistance combined with superior mold, mildew and insect resistant properties.   Wind rating on the product is approximately 110 mph.  The product does not require any maintanance and carries a 50-year limited warranty!

Enviroshake comes in one color.  It starts out as a brownish grey color and ”weathers” over 3-6 months to a silver-grey color that resembles cedar shake.  The product does not require breathing like a cedar shake roof, so it can be applied to the same plywood that exists under your present asphalt roof for example.  

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What can you do for roofing that is a bit greener and eco-friendly?  Performing a Google search will have you growing Kentucky Bluegrass on your rooftop.  I don’t know what neighborhood or climate that is practicle in,  but I haven’t seen a house growing a lawn on their roof around our offices here in California.  So we decided to highlight some green alternatives that are more in line with familiar, traditional, and practical roofing options that we are most familiar with — the shingle roof.

Fiber-Cement Composite Roofing
Fiber-cement roofs are long lasting, fireproof, and often use recycled wood fiber in their composition.  At the end of the life of this product, it can be ground up into sand so it is recyclable.  According to sources, these roofs do well in wet or humid areas, but not so well in freeze-thaw climates – check with the manufacturer for where their warranties apply.   

Re-Con Building Products
Naturals product fall under two brands, Rustic Shake and Quarry Slate.  These cement composite roofing products are simulated shake and slate products respectively.  Both products carry a 50-Year Limited Warranty, and they are warrantied against wind damage, breakage, and appearance – read the details of Naturals’ warranty.  The products have a high concentration of recycled materials in their ingredients.  All carry a Class A Fire Rating, Class IV Hail Rating, and a wind rating up to 200 mph.  Their products are resistant to moss, mildew and of course termites.  No maintenance is required with this roofing material according to Re-Con  Re-Con is a subsidiary of Stone Mountain Holdings.   

Metal Shingle Roofing (yes metal shingles)
Metal shingles have a high concentration of recycled materials that contribute to the eco-friendliness in the roofing category.  These shingles have come a long way in their resemblance to wood, tile and stone.  In most cases they are light weight and can be applied over two layers of asphalt that may exist on your roof already – saving tear-off, installation and the landfill waste (National Association of Home Builders Research Center reports 20 Billion pounds of asphalt shingles are dumped into U.S. landfills each year).  And noise?  The roofs are designed in a way so that noise should not be a concerns (if you thought it was going to sound a bit like that awning roof you may have encountered). 

Steel and aluminum roofs claim to be cooler solutions for your home as they reflect the sun and send the heat back, rather than absorbing it into your home.  The Cool Roof Rating Council (CRRC) overseas an independent rating process that provides a means for direct comparison of roofing products.  The higher the CRRC reflectance and emittance ratings, the more “cool” a product is considered to be.  When you read their product directory you will want to look for the producs with ratings closer to 1.0.  

A Cool Roof can cut down on air conditioning, thus energy usage.  CRRC quotes studies where energy savings from AC range from 10-30%.  Many states offer REBATES for Cool Roofs by the way.  Below we provide you with a manufacturer of steel, aluminum, and copper shingles

Tamko METALWORKS Steel Shingles
The MetalWorks name covers three brands of Tamko steel shingles:  AstonWood (cedar look & feel), StoneCrest (slate look & feel), StoneCrest Tile (tile look & feel).  All cover a limited 50-year warranty.  The CRRC ratings for MetalWorks Shingles can be found on the CRRC website product directory.

Classic Metal Roofing Systems
Classic claims their roofs reduce attic heat by up 34%, and this Energy Star partner has homeowners who have reported savings of up to 20% on energy costs.  The aluminum roofing products can be made from 95% post-consumer recycled material.  The Classic roofs have past wind rating tests of 120 mph.  Stand behind their product?  Classic supplies a limited LIFETIME warranty, with a limited 40-year homeowner transferrable warranty.   The company offers video comparisons of their products vs. Asphalt, Wood, and Clay roofing options.  See their roof comparison.

Zappone Manufacturing
Manufacturers of copper shingles and aluminum shingles.  They claim to be the only manufacturer of copper shingles to have been tested to withstand 110 mph winds.   Both the copper and the aluminum shingles are 100% recyclable if they were ever removed, and the company tells GetWithGreen.com that their copper offering is made from 85% recycled materials, and the aluminum is made from 100% recycled material!  As far as copper shingles, Zappone only produces shingles for 400 copper roofs each year in an effort to maintain top quality.    Testing has been done on their products and there is no harmful effect of run-off from these roofs.  Zappone contacted GetWithGreen.com directly to inform us that pricing for their products is as follows:  Copper shingles, flashing, nails, and freight average $1,120 per square (100 square feet), and aluminum averages $300 per square.

In an upcoming article, GetWithGreen.com will discuss a few other options.  For now, let our audience know if you have any comments or roofs over your head built with the materials above!!

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Fall will be here soon, and the tree leaves will find their way into the gutters on your new roof to clog your downspouts – resulting in potential water damage, dryrot or mold on/around your newly remodeled home. There are several types of solutions to help prevent gutter clogging, and here is one eco-friendly option that we wanted to bring to your attention.

The RainTube System is a tubular piping system that fits snuggly into your existing or new gutters.  The system is designed to prevent large debris such as leaves and pine needles from entering.  Tiny particles such as dust, fine seeds, and roof grit may still enter, but with proper sloping and drainage these particles will remain in solution and flush out through the downspouts according to the RainTube team.

The RainTube team outlines the installation process as follows:

• Your gutters and downspouts are inspected to ensure they are in good condition
• All gutters and downspouts are cleaned.
• RainTube technology is fit into your existing gutters. 

RainTube is manufactured by GLI Systems Inc., and it is made from 100% post-consumer high-density polyethylene (HDPE), and can be recycled again if needed.  The products are manufactured in Oregon.  Ballpark pricing for the product is $5-6/ft (that includes installation) – pretty good!

Some interesting recycled plastic factoids from Raintube:

• The energy saved by recycling one plastic bottle will power a computer for 25 minutes.
• 17 one-gallon milk jugs are reused to make one 13′ length of RainTube.
• 227 one-gallon milk jugs are reused to protect the gutters of an average home with RainTube.
• There are about 1,000 milk jugs and other bottles in a recycled plastic party bench.
• If you lined up all the polystyrene cups made in just 1 day they would circle the earth.
• Americans toss out 14.4 million tons of plastic every year according to the Plastics Museum.
• Americans go through 2.5 million plastic bottles every hour.
• Half of all polyester carpet manufactured in the U.S. is made form recycled soda bottles.

Other products created from recycled plastics:

• 14 20-ounce green soda bottles = one extra-large T-shirt
• 85 20 ounce soda bottles = filling for one sleeping bag
• 96 one-gallon milk jugs = one 6 foot long piece of 2/4 plastic lumber
• 1,200 plastic bottles = one 200 pound railroad tie
• 68,000 milk jugs (reinforced with fiberglass) = one 30 foot long bridge in New Baltimore, NY

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Better insulating your home while remodeling reduces your need for heating and cooling, thus saving $$.

If you are interested in helping the environment with an eco-friendly insulation product at the same time, what products can you turn to for insulation?

Here is a list. If you know of others or have used one of the products below, please tell the GetWithGreen audience via Comments!!!

Eco-Friendly Home Insulation:

Air Krete, Inc. – Cementitious Foam Insulation

Applegate Insulation

Ark-Seal – Blow-In-Blank Insulation System and Fiberiffic Insulation System

BioBased Systems – BioBased Insulation

Bonded Logic – Natural Cotton Fiber Insulation

Can-Cell Industries – WallBAR and Wethershield brand insulation

CertainTeed – MemBrain, SpeedyR, DryRight, ToughGard, SpeedR Bandit insulation

Climatizer Insulation, Inc.

Demilec – SEALection 500 Insulation

Fiberlite Technologies, Inc. – Fiber-Lite, Fiber-LitePlus, Wal-Mat

FOAM-TECH – Supergreen (special product for humid environments)

Good Shepherd Insulation – Wool Insulation products

Guardian Building Products – Fiberglass insulation products

Icynene, Inc. – Icynene Insulation System and GOLD SEAL 400 Foam Insulation

InsulCot – InsulCot cotton fibre insulation

International Cellulose Corporation – K-13, Sonaspray FC, Celbar, Protek-13, and Ure-K products

Johns Maville Corporation – Spider spray, ComfortTherm Batts/Rolls, MR, EasyFit, Kraft-Faced products

Knauf Insulation – JetStream blown fiberglass, and BATT products

Monoglass, Inc. – glass fiber spray insulation

Nu-Wool Co. Inc. – Spray-in-place cellulose insulation

Ottawa Fibre, Inc. – Fibreglass insulation products

Owens Corning – Pink Fiberglas, Propink, QuietZone, Celfort, Foamular, FoamSealR Insulation

Tascon, Industries. – Spray and loosefill insulation

Thermafiber, Inc. – FS-15 and FS-25 blanket fiber insulation

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One of our our employees had two solar attic fans installed during a recent home re-roof project.  The fans are installed on the roof, are powered 100% by the sun, and pull heat out of the attic as the temperatue in the attic rises – reducing the load on your AC system if you have one, and assuming you have good sealing between your attic and the inside of your home. 

Here is a short list of solar attic fan manufacturersthat supply these low cost no energy required home improvements:

Natural Light Energy Systems

Big Frog Mountain

HUVCO

Sunrise Solar, Inc.

Solar Dynamics

Solatube – Solar Star

Tru-Lite

If you are aware of other manufacturers, please add them to this list by posting a Comment below!

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