Your in-depth resource to environmental design issues

In addition to product information ecospecifier offers a range of detailed category-based Technical Guides. Produced periodically, these guides offer in-depth analysis of products, materials, technologies and design issues. When doing a product search the guides will appear when a guide exists that is relevant to your search.

Technical Guide 1: Timber & Wood Products

This guide provides a comprehensive overview of most of the common specifier questions. What are the environmental issues? Are plantation hardwoods available? Is Timber Certification available? What are the various preservatives available and which ones are preferable? What is the embodied energy of MDF as opposed to solid timber, or plastics? These questions and many more are addressed.

Technical Guide 2: Plants and Indoor Air Quality

This guide addresses the health benefits of indoor plants and lists a number of particularly beneficial plant species.

Technical Guide 3: Photovoltaic Technology & Installation

This technical guide attempts to demystify photovoltaics (PV) by providing clear information on different PV technologies and a step-by-step guide to selecting and sizing a PV system.

Technical Guide 4: Thermal Mass & its Role in Building Comfort and Energy Efficiency

This Technical Guide seeks to explain thermal mass, its benefits and limitations to enhance an understanding of mass in common building materials and its design implications and strategies for use in buildings.

Technical Guide 5: High Performance Fluorescent Lighting

This Technical Guide investigates various energy efficient fluorescent lighting technologies and options, and questions the single direction ‘electronic ballast or bust’ thrust currently in the marketplace. The purpose of this Technical Guide is to promote awareness and stimulate debate, in order to achieve the most energy efficient fluorescent lighting systems and optimum environmental outcomes available.