It was quite the scene at 9 a.m. When the gates to the Greenbuild exhibitor hall opened, people flooded the hall at their first opportunity and the excitement was a nice sight after my travels brought me to Philadelphia very late Tuesday night with a quick turnaround on Wednesday.

Now, since joining BNP Media in August 2011, I have attended the 2012 AHR Expo and 2012 KBIS, both held at the expansive McCormick Place in downtown Chicago. Greenbuild 2013 is definitely a change of pace. I’m not sure if it’s because the Philadelphia Convention Center has more square feet to play with, but I’m definitely not feeling cramped in and trying to find a sliver of room to pass by a multi-tasking attendee on their cell phone.

Niagara Conservation was excited to show off its expanded Stealth HET that now has a dual-flush model — with the easy-to-understand green button for wastewater — that is perfect for the hospitality market and more. The toilet’s maximum flush is 0.95 gpf for solids and 0.5 gpf for liquids.

American Standard displayed its new faucet — the Times Square Widespread faucet. The stark modern design will be a focal point for any bathroom that wants to be on the cutting edge. It’s made from durable solid brass and is WaterSense certified. It also has the exclusive Speed Connect Drain.

Eternal Hybrid Water Heaters is showcasing its residential GU120 hybrid water heater. This product, which was officially released in October, has a 1/2-in. gas line capability that makes for a simpler and more efficient installation for plumbing contractors. Additionally, homes with the GU120 can use a shower and a dishwasher simultaneously and not worry about a lack of hot water.

 

Some other thoughts after Day 1 at Greenbuild:

A big-time thank-you to whoever thought it was the right decision to install an emergency electronic power-up station on the second floor of the Philadelphia Convention Center. It was a saving grace as I travelled light on electronics for the first day. It’s nice to know I won’t run out of power at the end of the day.

And on a personal note, within five minutes of entering the Convention Center guess who I see? My cousin Krissy. This wasn’t unexpected as she works for the City of Philadelphia in the energy-saving game, but I wasn’t expecting it to be first thing in the morning of Day 1. It’s a cliche to say, but this truly is a small world.

 

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