Green

Contech is promoting the ecological benefits of its heart-shaped Rainforest Ecological Sprinklers, designed to lower water consumption. 

The heart-shaped head of the sprinkler breaks up water droplets to improve delivery to the root zone and to prevent wasted water, according to the company. 

“Because they can’t clog, Rainforest Sprinklers are ideal for hard water areas and for low-pressure systems like wells,” said Mark Grambart, president and CEO of Contech Enterprises, the manufacturer of Raniforest Ecological Sprinklers.

SFI Inc., the non-profit organization that oversees the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) program, has issued a statement criticizing the third and latest draft of LEED 2012 for only issuing LEED points or credits for certified wood that is “FSC or better.”

SFI maintains that the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), which administers the LEED program, continues to put up artificial barriers, shutting out 75% of North America’s forests that are certified by programs other than the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).

Chestnut Ridge, N.Y.-based Soft By Nature is pointing to clothes dryers as real energy hogs and pointing to its own Woolzies as an energy-saving idea.

The company has launched Woolzies, an all-natural fabric softener for use in dryers. Neither a dryer sheet nor a liquid, Woolzies are New Zealand wool dryer balls that soften laundry naturally, without any of the chemicals found in conventional fabric softeners.

Balqon Corp., a developer of electric drive system technologies for commercial electric vehicles, has unveiled a battery-powered all-electric yard tractor that incorporates the company's electric vehicle drive system.

A running shoe company that wants to build a “deep green” store -- but needs a major exemption to zoning regulations to do it -- has created a controversy in Seattle. According to an article in the Seattle Times, developer Skanska USA has signed Brooks Sports as the anchor tenant in a mixed-used building it wants to build. But the five-story retail building, which is already allowed an extra 10 ft.

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has honored KB Home’s Primera Terra community with a 2011 LEED for Homes award. The LEED Platinum project, one of the largest in California, was recognized as the best in the Multi-Family category.

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has announced a major milestone: The Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) has certified the 10,000^th LEED commercial project.

Orangeburg, S.C.-based Cox Industries and iLevel by Weyerhaeuser have joined efforts to expand distribution of Cox fire- and preservative-treated lumber, plywood and columns in select Atlantic states under the Cox D-Blaze and Ecolife brands.

Cox D-Blaze fire-retardant treated lumber and plywood can help control the spread of flames and smoke, and Ecolife by Cox can help protect wood against fungal decay, termite damage and weathering, the company said.