I have hope that flying cars will exist in the future. I have hope that there are actual people reading this blog. I have hope that ‘World Peace’ never changes his name back to Ron Artest. I can hope that these ideas come to fruition. But I don’t have to simply rely on hope when I think about the future of green construction.
On Wednesday, SRELP made a field trip to PCBC, a trade show at the Moscone center that showcased construction materials from around the nation. The vast number of green options was exciting and inspiring to behold. As is the case with many companies, there were a few people that used the word green a bit too freely to describe products that weren’t exactly green, but for the most part, the booths offered a variety of green options for building materials and construction. Some favorites:
Matrix Viribright LED Light bulbs: Whereas fluorescent light bulbs are indeed sustainable, LED lights are even better! This is due to the fact that LED lights do not use mercury, making them easier to dispose of; and use a greater portion of the electricity they consume for generating light– meaning that they are more efficient. In addition, Viribright’s light bulbs are cheaper than most LED bulbs. The one downside I noticed to Viribright’s LED lights is that they are only manufactured in China and Vietnam.
Trunano Counter Top Sealant: This sealant is unique for– supposedly– using no VOCs (a fancy word for dangerous chemicals like formaldehyde or acetone), being biodegradable, and using covalent bonds instead of using an adhesive to repel the liquid. This means that the counter tops only need to be resealed every 3 or 4 years, rather than every 6 months. The downside to this product is the price, but over time, having to buy this product once every few years ensures that the costs even out.
Enerflex Radiant Barrier: A layer of foil with a net of wire built inside, the enerflex barrier can be placed in one’s attic to reflect the heat waves that come from the sun outward, lowering the temperature of one’s attic. This means that the air conditioning unit can reduce its energy usage by up to 20%.
All in all it was a wonderful event, and I am glad to know that green business is still important to homeowners of the Pacific Coast.
Until next time,
Malachi
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