Tag: Materials
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Making Gold Green: New Non-Toxic Method for Mining Gold
This may appear to be far afield from the normal content of Green Building Elements, but for those of us alarmed by the liberal amounts of cyanide that are used worldwide to process gold, this discovery released today by Northwestern University might represent the beginning of less poisonous news on how the metal is processed.…
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Decorative Facade Removes Air Pollution in Perth, Mexico City, and Abu Dhabi
Daniel Schwaag and Allison Dring, of design firm, Elegant Embellishments, have developed a remarkable three-dimensional architectural tile that is capable of reducing air pollution in urban locations, is quick and easy to install, and provides visual appeal. In response to the priorities that have been set by the EU Clean Air Strategy 2005 to reduce…
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How to Increase Home Energy Efficiency with Interior Sliding Glass Doors
There’s no question that the use of glass in interior design can add a stunning visual element, but did you know that interior sliding glass doors can contribute to the energy efficiency of your home? In addition to allowing living spaces to be closed off when not in use to save on energy costs, glass…
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Missouri Smith Residence is First Active House in the USA
A new, green, custom home that has been built in Webster Grove, Missouri, is the work of Active House USA, a team of designers, builders, and materials manufacturers who are pooling their experience in environmentally conscious and sustainable building practices to construct homes around the world that utilize their Active House specifications, which combine focus…
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Commercialization of Polymer Solar Cell: Giant Leap Forward
Compared to silicon-based devices, PSCs are lightweight (which is important for small autonomous sensors), solution processability (potentially disposable), inexpensive to fabricate (sometimes using printed electronics), flexible, and customizable on the molecular level, and they have lower potential for negative environmental impact. Polymer solar cells have attracted a lot of interest due to these many advantages.