More analysis to come later, but here are some photos that we took at the International Builders' Show out in Las Vegas last week (comments below each photo):
Check out the bottle of Maker's Mark in the bottom-left corner. Vegas is really a drinking town. This was a chef who was cooking on some really cool kitchen appliances.
This big contraption is an air ventilation system that improves the indoor air quality of a home. It was installed in one of the homes that Palm Harbor Homes set up at the show.
This amazing device is GE's Ecomagination Smart Connect system. It basically is the brains of your house. It has connections for your home security system, water management, power management, lighting, music, and more.
Here's a screen shot from the user interface of the GE Smart Connect system. As you can see, it's touchscreen and elegantly designed. Sweet.
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This is the inside of the GE Smart Connect system. All those wires running into the box are the various ethernet and phone cables that connect all your home systems to the brain box.
These are Kohler water efficient urinals. Especially in the deserts of Las Vegas, these will come in handy.
Another way to save water, a dual-flush toilet.
Stylish looking solar panels that integrate into the shingles on your roof.
The wall is insulated with Icynene spray foam, which does an amazing job of eliminating air leakage.
Here's an example of the Icynene spray foam being used in the ceiling. This stuff really makes the house airtight and energy efficient.
Well, that's all for now folks. Be on the lookout for my analysis of the show and of the state of green building in general.
12 comments:
This link gives a decent explanation of the Icynene Spray Foam.
http://www.sdi-insulation.com/icynene.php
Nice pictures Mike. I'm a little wary of the GE Ecomagination "brain" for your home. Haven't you seen the Simpson's Treehouse of Horror episode where Homer installs a similar device which attempts to kill the entire family.
My company recently put dual flush toilets in a new building we built on UF's campus.
Back at my apartment I don't have that technology, I have to abide by the rule, "If it's yellow, let it mellow. If it's brown, flush it down."
Can someone name the movie?
Meet the Fockers.... love it.
Lombard- I'm still upset we didn't get to try the creme brulee made with the Maker's. Next time.
Wow, 9 minutes between Ryno's question and Doc's answer. "Impressive, most impressive." Can someone name that movie?
Doc, we were eating so much out in Vegas, if we had eaten the creme brulee, we might have exploded.
@Matt, I haven't seen that episode of the Simpsons, but I'll be wary if I ever install that brain box system.
@Ryno, where are the pics from those duel-flush toilets your company installed? Where is the blog post about the UF building? Pull your weight man!
The Empire Strikes Back and The Best of Peter North.
@Pat LMAO!
Toilets account for approx. 30% of water used indoors. By installing a Dual Flush toilet you can save between 40% and 70% of drinking water being flushed down the toilet, depending how old the toilet is you are going to replace.
If you are serious about saving water, want a toilet that really works and is affordable, I would highly recommend a Caroma Dual Flush toilet. Caroma toilets offer a patented dual flush technology consisting of a 0.8 Gal flush for liquid waste and a 1.6 Gal flush for solids. On an average of 5 uses a day (4 liquid/ 1 solid) a Caroma Dual Flush toilet uses an average of 0.96 gallons per flush. The new Sydney Smart uses only 1.28 and 0.8 gpf, that is an average of 0.89 gallons per flush. This is the lowest water consumption of any toilet available in the US. Caroma, an Australian company set the standard by giving the world its first successful two button dual flush system in the nineteen eighties and has since perfected the technology. Also, with a full 3.5″ trapway, these toilets virtually never clog. All of Caroma’s toilets are on the list of WaterSense labeled HET’s http://www.epa.gov/watersense/pp/find_het.htm and also qualify for several toilet rebate programs available in the US. Please visit my blog http://pottygirl.wordpress.com/2008/08/01/what-you-should-know-about-toilets/ to learn more or go to http://www.caromausa.com to learn where you can find Caroma toilets locally. Visit http://www.ecotransitions.com/howto.asp to see how we flush potatoes with 0.8 gallons of water, meant for liquids only. Best regards, Andrea Paulinelli, owner ecoTransitions Inc.
Thanks for the info Andrea. I just read about the dual flush toilets the other day and Mike provided some images of one at the Vegas builders show. Utilizing the "if it's yellow, let it mellow" technique and these water efficient toilets we could all cut our consumption down dramatically.
Yeah, the "if it's yellow, let it mellow" technique won't work for a lot of people b/c they don't want to flip up the lid and see a pee-filled toilet (my wife being a prime example). Plus, if you entertain a lot and people are drinking beer, that rule's not gonna work.
That's why I love the dual-flush toilets that Andrea "PottyGirl" mentioned. It's essentially mistake-proof, in that it only asks the bare minimum of people (just hit the right button). Thanks for the links Andrea.
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