New Green Products Presented at 2008 International Builders Show

300 different product categories will be on show from 1900 different exhibitors featuring goods for both residential and commercial developments.

Appliances are one of the primary consumers of electricity and other utilities in the home. This year, a variety of manufacturers will be presenting new products that aim to utilize resources more carefully as well as use less of them. Maytag will be displaying new dishwashers that feature ENERGY STAR certification.

Fafco will debut new solar hot-water heating systems that can help you save up to 50% on your home energy bill. The system, entitled Sungrabber, features lightweight, all polymer, construction. Grand Hall USA will be showing off its eternal hybrid water heating system. The system features a combination of tank and tankless technologies with an 86 percent thermal efficiency rating and water pressure that is consistent.

One of the first steps in making an energy efficient home is choosing the right building materials. Platinum Advanced Technologies will be offering composite building materials that provide good insulation and plenty of support strength all at a low price. Having appropriate insulation can help maintain uniform room temperature throughout a space, saving homes and businesses money from the high costs of heating and cooling. Choosing the best doors and windows also helps secure the thermal envelope of a building.

Another electricity hog in many buildings is the lighting. Few have switched over to energy efficient lighting sources such as LEDs and fluorescents which provide the same amount of light but employ lower electricity use. Moda Light will be showcasing LED bulbs which are mercury free, last 18 years, and provide the light of a 50 watt light bulb, but only use 12 watts! CentraLite Systems has a more high tech approach to electricity saving with its JetStream wireless lighting control system.

While the number of new energy and resource efficient products for home and home building continue to rise, it is up to us, as citizens, to implement their usage. Often, people cite the cost, time and hassle required undertaking such tasks as not being worth the effort. The only way that we will be able to make a real change is to sacrifice more of our time, resources and money. However painful that may sound to some, it is not as painful as living in a world of global warming, climate change and pollution.

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