Green Building Blog - Jetson Green

Home Depot To Save $16 M/YR By Switching to CFLs

You may have noticed recent news that Home Depot will be providing free, in-store recycling of CFLs at all of its U.S. stores.  But buried in that story is another interesting factoid -- a tidbit of information in the likes of plucking the low hanging fruit.  Home Depot announced that they will be switching to CFLs at all U.S. Light Fixture Showrooms and expect to save roughly $16 million in annual energy costs.

This news isn't all that sexy, but it's important.  Make the switch, if you haven't already and stop throwing money out the window.  With the low hanging fruit, it's true: money grows on trees!

Element Fan, Big Ass Fans' New Energy Efficient Fan

You've probably seen Big Ass Fans in the gym or in some larger space, and that's because they're huge and energy efficient.  Just last week, Big Ass Fans launched their newest product called the Element Fan.  Element uses the 10 airfoil and wiglet design to move air quietly and efficiently.  According to BAF: "At standard speed in a room with 16 ft. high ceilings Element is able to create comfortable breezes over an area larger than a basketball court, all while requiring less than 100 watts to operate. That is considerably less energy than even the most efficient small ceiling fan in production today."  I've been around these gargantuan fans and love them.  Seriously, they cool down a large space like nothing I've ever seen.  Plus, you can really get creative with the colors, so as far as large fans go, this is a dang good option to go with.    

Botanist Blank Canvas Project Fuses Sustainability with Style

Anyone going to be at ICFF 2008?  I received an email about Orange22's launch of the Botanist Blank Canvas Project at ICFF and it looks pretty interesting.  Orange22 enlisted the help of eight iconic designers to place their fingerprint on the popular Botanist line of indoor/outdoor furniture.  The designers include Yves Behar, Margo Chase, Milton Glaser, Kahi Lee, Karim Rashid, Joe Ricchio, Massimo + Lella Vignelli, and Claude Zellweger.  Pieces come in a variety of designs and can be used as end tables, benches, cocktail tables, or anything else you can think of. 

Viesso - Speedy, Custom Green Furniture Options

Viesso, a Santa Monica based company, makes custom green furniture that's ready to ship in three weeks.  All furniture is made right in Los Angeles.  They offer 17 couch and sectional shapes and 9 armchairs in a practically endless variety of fabrics.  You then also have the choice of leg shape and cushion interior materials, spring type, etc., and you can build and price out your exact piece on their website.

Liberty Collection, Vivid Recycled Glass Mosaic Tile

I just caught wind of an incredible new collection of transparent, glass mosaic tile called LIBERTY.  LIBERTY was designed by Giulio Candussio for Trend USA, a company we profiled previously for their Trend Q product.  These images are incredible.  The hand cut tiles contain a minimum of 50% post industrial recycled content and are available in 12 colors.  LIBERTY retails for about $45 psf, which is not bad depending on the use.  A wall might be expensive, but an accent will be more reasonable.  I'm gonna let the images speak on this one, but if you want more information, LIBERTY will be in tile shops all over the country (visit here or call 866-508-7363 for nearest location). 

3form Chroma, a Solid Surface Product

3form has a line of great eco-friendly materials.  One of their products, Chroma, is a solid surface material suitable for countertops, tabletops, vanities, and anything else your imagination can dream up.  The best part about the Chroma line is the color choices.  There is a beautiful palette of brights, bolds, neutrals, and earth tones to choose from.  The bright colors are candy-like and would make a truly unique and bold statement in an otherwise neutral room.  The fascinating thing about Chroma is it's reclaim potential.  Chroma can be sent back to 3form and they can change the color of the material -- and this can be done over and over again.   

XCR from Expanko, Cork/Rubber Flooring

XCR is a wonderful flooring product from the company Expanko.  It is made of a mixture of recycled rubber and cork including recycled tires and post-industrial waste.  XCR is a colorful, waterproof, durable flooring option.  It is also slip-resistant, fire-resistant, and quiet and comfortable to walk and stand on.  There are 27 standard colors to choose from including earthy neutrals, jewel tones, and brights and bolds.  XCR is available in 24"x24"x1/8" tiles and rolls that are 48" wide in a variety of lengths -- a great option for a range of commercial and residential projects.  XCR can be expected to last more than 20 years, even in a commercial setting, and when removed, it can be recycled. 

mkPURE + mkISLAND, Modern Green Surfaces

It looks like Michelle Kaufmann is extending her successful prefab business into green interior products.  Her newly designed website now lists a couple green surface designs that are pretty stunning.  In collaboration with Concreteworks, MKD is offering mkPURE, a super-modern sink, and mkISLAND, a modern island/table.  Both the mkPURE and mkISLAND come in three finishes: (1) WHITE, made of concrete with fly ash and recycled porcelain, (2) LINEN, made of concrete with rice hull, and (3) GRAY, made of concrete with fly ash and rice hull. 

Pricing on the mkPURE starts at $1,950, unless you buy in bulk.  Similarly, the mkISLAND starts at $5,250.

Lee Industries Introduces Natural Furniture Line

Lee Industries, a high quality, custom furniture company has introduced an impressive eco line: naturalLEE.   The beauty of Lee has always been that you can choose one of their fabrics and one of their furniture designs and have a custom piece made to fit your style.  Now, with naturalLEE, you can still choose any one of their furniture design and they will make it naturally! 

FLOR Modular Carpet Tiles, Versatile + Green

Many of you already know of FLOR, the carpet tile company that sells carpet squares that you piece together to make your own unique rug.  But did you know that FLOR is an eco-conscious company.  The company has a mission to eliminate any negative environmental impact by 2020.  Already, their waste sent to landfills has been cut by 63% and their absolute greenhouse gas emissions by 56%.  Many of their tile collections are made with recycled content, such as Fedora, which is made of 80% post-consumer fibers.  Another product, Terra, is made of 34% PLA, which is a renewable corn-based resource. 

FLOR has a great range of styles, texture, colors, and patterns.  FLOR even has a reclaim program where they take back your old tiles and recycle them into new products.