Update: Solar Decathlon Shuffled to West Potomac Park
A spokeswoman for student participants is reported to have said Solar Decathlon 2011 will be held at the National Harbor in Maryland, according to John McArdle, reporter for E&E News. I have not confirmed the accuracy of this information and there has been no official announcement of a location change to date.
In my experience, it seems most people compare appliance models based on cost, appearance, and brand. Some individuals consult the yellow-and-black EnergyGuide label for estimated operating cost and energy use information. Others research models online through the Energy Star products database.
But there’s a new resource for locating the most energy efficient products on the market: Top Ten USA.
Hexagon is a new wall tile collection by Form Us with Love for Träullit, a manufacturer of wood wool cement board in Sweden. The shapely material absorbs sound, retains heat, resists fire, and resists moisture — making it easy to dress up a large blank wall or add a block of color to an otherwise minimal space. Träullit makes each tile with a combination of wood wool, cement, and water. Hexagon is on display at a church in a secret location in conjunction with Stockholm Design Week 2011.
Material ConneXion, a global materials consultancy, recently gave its material of the year award to Novacem for the company’s “carbon negative” cement. The product is being touted with increasing frequency and — it would seem from the literature — has the potential to change the world of concrete in 2014-15 when it hits the market.
Tony Sarich, co-founder of American Modular Systems (manufacturer of Gen7 line of modular classrooms that we featured last year), plans to build an eco-friendly home and winery using what was learning developing Gen7. The new project is destined for wine country in Lodi, California and the winery, shown above, will be powered by solar panels and covered in reclaimed wood siding.
Project Profiles
