Week 12 - Materials

Green materials may be the components of products which may be used in a building or may be stand alone units.  

Green building products are generally building components which are preferable to a number of alternatives.  However, green building products may not necessarily be made of green material products.  

As an example: Low-emissivity (low-E) glass is a product which allows visible light to pass through it but reflects a large proportion of the heat-producing infrared wavelength light.  It is chosen because of its energy performance, however the glass may be difficult to recycle due to the special films glued to the glass.  Is this a better product than normal glass ?  Another example is the use of photovoltaic panels for solar energy capture.  What is the environmental impact of producing, maintaining, operating and disposing these units?  - see here for a scientific opinion.   

Using the table below, compare the products and their alternatives in terms of a comprehensive environmental cost.