Green

Ashland City, Tenn.-based A.O. Smith is about to begin a cross-country journey called the High Efficiency Revolution Tour to promote its line of water heaters. 

The two-year long traveling show will begin this month, driving around the country in a custom-made RV dubbed the High Efficiency Mobile Marketing Vehicle. 

Online window treatment retailer Blinds Chalet released its list of "Top Five Window Treatments for Spring."

The common thread for the top five is glare reduction that can contribute to more energy-efficient homes.

The top five window treatments for spring, along with descriptions from Gilbert, Ariz.-based Blind Chalet, are:

St. Louis-based urban redevelopment firm EcoUrban is filling vacant lots in St. Louis with energy-efficient and affordable prefab and modular homes.

The redevelopment project involves a modular building manufactured off-site with green, sustainable features, then trucked to St. Louis, placed on a precast foundation and finished on-site.

Omaha, Neb.-based HearthStone Homes has named Typar Fiberweb as its new housewrap in accordance with its commitment to build only Energy Star-qualified homes.

The company said it chose the housewrap manufacture after an evaluation of Typar’s performance data and Fiberweb’s manufacturing processes.

Officials in Tucson, Ariz., have replaced the city’s low-pressure sodium street lamps with energy-efficient LED luminaires from Cooper Lighting, a division of Cooper Industries.

Energy Optimizers Limited, a British-based energy technology firm, has introduced a new device, called The Plogg, that evaluates the energy performance and profile of electrical appliances based upon actual consumer behavior.

Gaithersburg, Md.-based pro dealer TW Perry will host its Third Annual Green Building Workshop March 17 in Fairfax, Va.

The daylong event, presented in partnership with the National Association of the Remodeling Industry, represents the six-unit dealer's commitment to the green building market. TW Perry is certified by both the Forest Stewardship Council and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative.

The vast majority of consumers are not recycling their compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs, and the result is tons of mercury released into the environment, according to an article in the Contra Costa Times. Statistics provided by the Association of Lighting and Mercury Recyclers estimate that only 2% of consumers and one-third of businesses recycle CFL bulbs.