The world is realizing the importance of having more sustainable practices, achieving greater environmental performance and efficiencies, and producing less of an environmental impact. The GRO Modular green roof system is a modern, cutting edge system of applying green roofs to most any situation. Green roofs have many benefits alone, but used in conjunction with the GRO Modular technology, the benefits increase exponentially, and can weigh heavily in a Cost-Benefit Analysis.

Unlike traditional green roofs, GRO Modular green roof systems offer easy installation and an instant green roof. This lightweight modular system arrives pre-planted and ready for placement. The all-inclusive GRO Modules include: a 100% recycled content container with a built in drainage & reservoir system, filter fabric layer, lightweight growing media and established hardy plants. Each component of this modular system is engineered to work synergistically with one another, creating an optimal environment for the green roof to thrive.

Read more about them on their website.

Recycled countertops are like the students in your high school class everyone envied: they are blessed with stunning good looks and amazing social skills, too. Recycled surfaces offer the benefits of being socially conscious without sacrificing style.

(Via EcoHome: Most Read Product Reviews.)

A guide to eco-friendly options among wood, composite, and plastic decking.

(Via EcoHome: Most Read Product Reviews.)

A good overview of tankless water heaters.

Offering up to 34% greater efficiency than traditional units, on-demand water heaters are becoming a green building staple.

(Via EcoHome: Most Read Product Reviews.)

Discover a new genus of paver, ideal for both residential and commercial hardscapes. Belgard’s Environmental pavers are attractive, all-weather durable and most important, eco-friendly.

The perfectly natural way to protect our earth’s most vital resources. Every paver allows water to permeate and directly enter the ground, thereby reducing the negative effects of run-off on local watersheds, and ultimately the lakes, rivers and seas downstream. 

(Via Belgard Hardscapes.)

There is a house in Omaha, Neb., that is unlike any other in the state—perhaps the country. Built under HUD’s Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing (PATH), this “Concept Home” is loaded with 60 of the best technologies and products home building has to offer and is seen as a model for the future of home construction. The roof the agency chose to use on the house is made from metal. 

(Via EcoHome: Most Read Product Reviews.)

(Via EcoHome Magazine.)

Image via Wikipedia

Mainstream lighting manufacturers are finally starting to jump on the LED bandwagon.

LED recessed lights are now available in the Halo downlighting product line. The product has a warm white color temperature, fits into existing Halo and All-Pro housings, and exceeds California’s Title 24 requirements. It provides 50,000 hours of life, the manufacturer says. 770.486.4800.

(Via EcoHome: Energy Star.)

Related articles

• Green Tips For Condo, Apartment Dwellers (cbsnews.com)

Eternal Hybrid water heating combines the benefits of a tank water heater and a tankless into one super-efficient unit. Rather than a single-pass heat exchange that Grand Hall says can waste heat, the Eternal Hybrid uses a multipass heat exchanger that drives heat downward and recycles it through 44 stainless steel pipes for maximum efficiency, the maker says; water spreads evenly around the pipes for fast heat absorption. Cold water flows upward to prevent sedimentation buildup. The firm says the counterflow technology allows for faster delivery for multiple applications at once versus a tankless. The unit is half the size of a 50-gallon tank model but provides 300% higher output. The Eternal Hybrid is 86% efficient and generates near-zero greenhouse gas emissions. 877.934.7455.

(Via EcoHome: Energy Star.)

A selection of green products on display at Greenbuild 2008.

(Via EcoHome: Most Read Product Reviews.)