Other private companies have also bet on U.S.-based green building innovation. BASF Venture Capital, for example, last year put $21.5 million into a Massachusetts company called Aspen Aerogels, innovators of a new super-insulating material.
Fortunately, a few companies have followed a trajectory of green building R&D, innovation and expansion since long before green became a buzz word. These companies are not simply breaking new ground anymore. They’re doing us all a favor by investing their resources in how to work cleaner, transport materials more efficiently, add durability, track a product’s life cycle, and many other areas of expertise essential to the creation of a completely net-zero-building infrastructure.
We selected these firms based on what we knew of their green corporate commitment, and asked reporter Tux Turkel to research how each company fits into the future goal of 100% net-zero (or better) construction. Here’s our 2011 list of the nation’s green building eco-leaders.
UPONOR
TAKING CONTROL
Bringing a house to net-zero often requires getting a series of systems to work together. Solar hot water. Photovoltaic panels. Geothermal pumps. Radiant floor heating. Add air conditioning and ventilation, and you’ve got a controller nightmare.
What’s needed is a way to integrate the functions of all these energy applications into a single control unit. That way, each system can achieve peak performance, without a lot of involvement from home occupants.
That’s what Uponor has accomplished with its Climate Control Network (CNN) system.
Uponor connects heating, cooling, ventilation, humidification, and radiant components to a programmable black box containing an integrated computer hardware and software package. By monitoring performance, it automatically can activate the most cost-effective systems at the right time—solar on a sunny day, for instance, and the boiler at night. It also has the ability to shift priorities at different times of the year.
Occupants can make comfort changes with wall-mounted thermostats or optional touch panels. The Web-based system also allows for real-time monitoring and adjustments on a home or remote computer.
Uponor’s CNN system saves time and money for installers, but also offers them an added benefit for future service. A notification option allows contractors to monitor and manage the customer’s network online, so they can make changes to assure that everything is running as it should.
“It’s really wonderful when your products and practices align with sustainable goals,” says Ingrid Mattsson, senior manager for brand management at Uponor.
Radiant floor heating and cooling help contribute to net-zero-energy use in homes, she notes, because these technologies require very little electricity. When coupled with geothermal or solar thermal, they are exceptionally energy-efficient.
07.2011
15
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76