There’s a great deal happening in green building, and green buildings. From solar and wind power to improved recycling efforts and lighting retrofits, companies can take a variety of steps to reduce their environmental impacts. With all the options, how do you make intelligent decisions?

To help businesses answer that question, the Boston Convention and Exposition Center was overflowing with roughly a thousand exhibitors during the annual Greenbuild International Conference and Expo, the largest of all environmental product trade shows. A production of the U.S. Green Building Conference and a deep well of real information spiced with smidgens of hype, it was perfectly ill-timed for ski area attendance Nov. 19-21, 2008.

SAM, however, was among the 25,000 attendees. Here’s a quick review of what the exhibitors were touting.


SOLAR POWER
All manner of solar panels are becoming available, from thin films to advanced photovoltaic cells. Expertise is expanding fast in this business. One intriguing system from EnergyPeak, building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), consists of thin film solar laminate fused to standing seam metal roofs. The laminate comes with a 20-year warranty and is durable enough to walk on. Payback is said to be 10 years or less in some states.

Don’t know if solar is right for you, or what type of solar system will best suit your situation? There are plenty of solar power consultants who can help. One we spoke with, Solar Monkey, will review utility bills, provide a financial analysis, prepare applications for government incentives and credits, install and maintain the system. You just have to say yes.

One new twist on the solar angle: several companies (including Solar Monkey) offer to install and manage the solar gear, at no cost to you. You don’t get the full long-term benefit, but you get to share in the benefits without spending a dime. Getting something for nothing sounded like a good deal to us, and we mentioned that to fellow journalist Joe Boyce of Green Tech Media (www.greentechmedia.com). Alas, he said, several of the companies touting this scheme have been unable to obtain funding. Still, if the energy experts find a way to pull off this scheme, it can be a win-win for everyone involved.


WIND POWER
Not long ago, you couldn’t get a wind turbine of any sort, let alone one small enough to be practical at most resorts. Now, some wind turbines are small enough to mount on a lift shack. Southwest Windpower offers five mini turbines, with blade diameters from 46 inches to 15 feet. They generate from 200 to 3,000 watts each. The Skystream 3.7, with a 12-foot diameter blade, generates 1,900 watts in a 21 mph breeze, or 400 kWh/mo. at 12 mph average wind speed. Total cost of purchase and installation is $13,000 to $15,000, depending on location, and that cost can be reduced via credits and tax breaks.


INSULATED CONCRETE FORMS (ICFs)
This innovation in foundation and wall construction is catching on generally, but ought to be especially attractive to winter resorts, at least for structures of three stories or less. Instead of erecting plywood forms, ICFs might be the way to go. ICFs have been used at a smattering of ski areas to date, including a condo project at Taos, so there’s some precedent.

ICFs consist of modular blocks of foam panels that lock together much like Legos. Plastic spacers between the inner and outer panels maintain the blocks’ shape. Typically about a foot deep and three or four feet long, the blocks can be used in various combinations. Once you snap the walls together, just pour the concrete and you’re done. The “forms” become part of the building and provide a high R-value. One bonus: Since the forms insulate the poured concrete, it should be easier to keep it at the proper temperature for curing, even in colder weather. After the concrete cures, just attach your cladding of choice inside and out to the foam walls—there are anchors in the foam to which you can nail or screw drywall or siding, or simply apply stucco.

Insulated concrete forms might add a few percent to the initial cost, but payback is quick: they reduce heating costs by 50 to 70 percent compared to traditional construction, and cut construction time by 20 to 50 percent. Construction waste is much reduced as well. For an extra touch of green, some ICFs use recycled materials.


GREEN WALLS
Two energy-saving wall items caught our eye: Insulspan structural insulated panels, and the InSpire solar collector. Insulspan ships custom-cut, preassembled foam-filled structural walls that create high R-value and an airtight envelope, certified to ISO 9001-2000. The custom panels cut construction time, meaning that buildings are made weathertight quickly, and the high R-value suits resort applications.

InSpire solar collectors are a simple concept that would work well for maintenance buildings and warehouses in particular. Aluminum or zinc wall cladding, installed on the building exterior several inches from a south-facing wall, creates an air space between it and the outside of the building. Sunlight heats the air, and fans pull it into the building. Perforations in the metal cladding allow fresh air into the gap between the two walls. This is a simple, efficient, and relatively inexpensive way to preheat outside air (in summer, the heat is vented out the top of the wall, keeping the building itself cooler). Not to mention a fine way to ensure good fresh air circulation and humidification. The payback period is generally within three years, according to the company.


GREEN CONSULTANTS
Many companies exist to perform energy and, more generally, green audits to provide advice and direction on ways to reduce a resort’s carbon footprint. Most of these companies expand beyond the resort facilities and operations to include community-wide impacts and solutions. Some, like Johnson Controls, are familiar with winter resorts, too. If you are wondering how green upgrades and improvements will impact short-term and long-term capital costs or how they will affect other capital programs, consultants can help you sort through the options.


URINALS
Low-flow and flushless options are legion. Both waterless urinals themselves and drain trap liquids that keep them smelling fresh (or not at all) were scattered about the show. And don’t forget Clivus Multrum composting toilets, used in several winter resorts already—including the summit of Arapahoe Basin at nearly 13,000 feet. With these systems, the entire restroom can go waterless.


OTHER STUFF
GreenBuild showcases the ingenuity of smaller entrepreneurs alongside the major international conglomerates. One idea we liked was recycling cabinets made from 100 percent recycled HDPE milk jugs. What could be more appropriate? Midpoint International’s Recycled Recyclers include assorted sizes of bins and containers. In case you ever want to trash these nearly indestructible bins themselves, the company will happily recycle them again.

The BigBelly Solar Compactor is a bit pricey (about $4,000 before volume discounts), but it’s a great way to put a lot of trash into a small location, and it helps eliminate the plague of overflowing bins. Plus, it reduces collection costs. The solar power unit charges a 12-volt battery, so the unit works well even in northern latitudes (the very first was installed in Vail, where about a dozen are currently in use).

Water management is often an issue for resorts. Rehbein Environmental Solutions uses a network of underground gravity-based reservoirs to manage stormwater runoff from parking lots, roofs, and driveways and to create sustainable solutions.

While there are many great ideas for environmental building at the national Greenbuild show, local and regional shows are multiplying, so look for one near you. In addition, local distributors and sales offices of the national exhibitors can provide the information you need for your own green future.

Green Resources
Contact information for companies we encountered at Greenbuild:

Building Controls
Reliable controls: 1-877-475-9301; www.reliablecontrols.com
WattStopper/Legrand: (408) 988-5331; www.wattstopper.com

Consultants
Fore Solutions: (207) 347-5066; www.fore-solutions.com
Green Building Services: 1-866-743-4277;
www.greenbuildingservices.com
Johnson Controls: www.johnsoncontrols.com
Sustainserv: (617) 692-2945; www.sustainserv.com
VFA: 1-800-693-3132; 1-888-685-3757 (Canada); www.vfa.com

Insulated Concrete Forms
Greenblock: 1-800-216-1820; www.greenblock.com
Logix: 1-888-415-6449; www.logixicf.com
Nudura: 1-866-468-6299; www.nudura.com
Quad-Lock: 1-888-711-5625; www.quadlock.com
Recycling
BigBelly Solar: 1-888-820-0300; www.bigbellysolar.com
Midpoint International: 1-888-646-4246; www.midpoint-int.com

Restrooms
Clivus Multrum: 1-800-4-CLIVUS; www.clivusmultrum.com
Waterless Co.: 1-800-244-6364; www.waterless.com
Zero Flush: 1-888-785-9376; www.zeroflush.com
Zurn Industries: 1-800-997-3876; www.zurn.com

Wind Power
Southwest Windpower: (928) 779-9463; www.windenergy.com
AV (Architectural Wind): (626) 357-9983; www.avinc.com/wind

Everything else
Energy Peak: 1-888-216-9600; www.energypeak.com
InSpire: 1-800-468-1441; www.atas.com
Insulspan: (403) 569-4323; www.insulspan.com
Rehbein Environmental Solutions: (763) 784-0614; www.resisolutions.com
Solar Monkey: (949) 748-5996; www.solarmonkey.net
Greenbuild: www.greenbuildexpo.org