Emphasis is on Thermal Performance

"Many of the products under development now focus on enhancing the thermal capacity of wall systems, and the result is systems capable of very high thermal performance," says Tony Evans, Vistawall national products manager. Some manufacturers, he says, have made exterior sunshades a part of standard wall packages.

"A lot of what we are doing today comes from the architectural community telling us what we need to do," Grunewald says. "The emphasis, of course, is on energy conservation, but today's jobsite has become increasingly collaborative, and one of the elements often overlooked is a manufacturer's ability to work as part of a team."

"The development of higher performing thermal products is part of our normal business practice," Evans says, "but we are also looking at life-cycle analyses that will help us create buildings that will perform at higher levels for a longer period of time."

Operable windows permit the 145,000 square-foot building to harness prevailing breezes for cooling and the sun for heat, light and electricity. Lillis is designed to be 50 percent more energy-efficient than state code requires.

The construction team utilized "green" components such as materials salvaged from the previous building, certified hardwoods and other sustainable resources. Lillis employs quiet, motorized shades, photo light sensors and a centralized computer that adjusts to changing light conditions.

Flipping a light switch in the classrooms, for example, activates sensors that detect the ambient light and decide whether to strike the lights to full power, adjust the shades to allow in more light, or both, depending on the weather or time of day.

"Green" is a new and different market," Evans says. "Window and wall manufacturers went through exactly the same exercise when hurricane resistant products began emerging a few years ago. We are being pushed to develop new products and systems that support sustainability."