The show was huge. Seminars, exhibits and many people from out of town clearly having a good time. I walked through scouting out those dealing with green ideas such as solar panels, insulation ideas, and items that leave a smaller footprint.
To my amazement the solar panel thing was a non-starter. Basically nothing. I think this has everything to do with the weak support from the government. When comparing what the German government will pay per kwh vs. Ontario - the difference is that we will get compensated 2/3's of the amount that germans receive. I don't think there are any rebates for installing a system in Ontario. The energy audit program should include solar power. Add it to the list of items that include furnaces, new windows, etc...
Insulation ideas dealt with icf and rim-boards. The ICF idea is nothing new. The rim-board with embedded insulation was very nice, but would not work well if the framers needed to shim a bit, but in combo with regular insulation and vb you should come out ahead.
On the siding front LP had a product that is a composite of materials that uses less trees and installs quickly. The material does not require strapping so therefore the time to get it up is greatly reduced. I will be researching this one further, so be prepared for some more comments.
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