“Wow! That’s Cool!” PCBC® 2008 Announces Cool Products Winners

SACRAMENTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Members of the home building industry have voted and named the “coolest” homebuilding products in the annual Cool Products contest. PCBC 2008, the largest homebuilders show on the West Coast, organizes the annual Cool Products contest for the more than 600 exhibitors at the conference.

Exhibitors entered more than 125 products in three categories – Consumer, Green and Industry products. Five products were chosen for each category by 679 home building professionals who voted online. All companies, products and booth information is available at www.pcbc.com/cool.

“PCBC is a partner with our exhibitors and for them to succeed in this tough marketplace we’re swinging the spotlight onto their innovations and creativity,” said Linda Baysari, Senior Vice President, Meetings & Convention, PCBC. “Being named a Cool Products winner offers tremendous industry attention at the conference and consumer marketing recognition throughout the year.”

2008 Cool Products – Consumer Category:

1. QuickDrain USA’s Shower Wall Drain – Shower floor slopes gently to a long drain along the base of the shower instead of draining to one single point. Contact: Josef Erlebach, josef@quickdrainusa.com, p. 970-389-6582.

2. Lagotek Cell Phone Home Control – Enables consumers to view live footage from video cameras installed throughout the home and monitor other home functions. Contact: Ilya Billig, ilyab@lagotek.com, p. 425-941-8966.

3. Bose Corporation’s Bose Lifestyle BUILT-INvisible 6748 Home Entertainment System – Installed during new construction, the speaker wiring, amplifiers and large components can be completely hidden in walls, ceilings or floors in up to 14 rooms including outdoors. Contact: Don Coley, don_coley@bose.com, p. 508-614-6061.

4. EnerWorks Inc.’s Space-Saver Residential Solar Water Heating Appliance – Combines solar and auxiliary electric hot water to provide 50% to more than 80% of a household's annual water-heating needs. Contact: Kathleen Barnard, k.barnard@enerworks.com, p. 519-268-6500.

5. Nuheat Cable – An easy-to-install floor warming system brings warmth to tile, stone, laminate/engineered wood floors and wet environments such as showers, shower benches and saunas. Contact: Chris Guelpa, cguelpa@nuheat.com, p. 604-759-1440

2008 Cool Products – Green Category:

1. Rinnai Corporation’s Rinnai LS Series Tankless Water Heater – Offers 30% to 50% energy savings over traditional tank-style units and can supply hot water when you need it, for as long as you need it, while contributing to a greener environment. Contact: Nina Knight, nknight@rinnai.us, p. 678-829-1700 x4318

2. Eagle Roofing Products’ Eagle Solar Roof powered by SolarSave Integrated Solutions – This solar system integrates seamlessly with Eagle concrete roof tile and maintains the aesthetics of the roof, maintains the integrity of the roof system, prevents leaks and protects the home or building. Contact: Melissa Pellerito, melissap@eagleroofing.com, p. 949-648-0512

3. Cree LED Lighting Solutions LR6 Light Bulb – Has a 20-year life span (50,000 hours under normal use) and 85% less energy than a conventional incandescent and less than half that of a comparable fluorescent. Contact: Stephanie Moon, smoon@llfinc.com, p. 707-816-2746

4. Akeena Solar’s Andalay Solar Panels – Uses a Lego-like, snap-in-place process to lie flat on rooftops. The Andalay panels have 70% fewer parts than a conventional system and 20% fewer rooftop penetrations. Contact: Caitlin Cieslik-Miskimen, caitlin@antennagroup.com, p. 415-977-1922

5. The new GE Profile SmartDispense Frontload Washer and Dryer – Uses as little as 10 gallons of water and stores and automatically dispenses detergent and fabric softener based on each load's size, soil level, water hardness and fabric or cycle type. Contact: Allison Eckelkamp, allison.eckelkamp@ge.com, p. 502-452-7184

2008 Cool Products – Industry Category:

1. FAFCO SunGrabber Solar Hot Water System – The lightweight, quick-installation solar hot water system can easily bring about savings of up to 50% on water heating bills for the homeowner. The entire system fits in a single box and weighs just 70 pounds. Contact: Susan Kohl, skohl@mlode.com, p. 209-586-5887

2. Dow Building Solutions’ Styrofoam Structural Insulated Sheathing – A three-in-one solution that combines structural shear bracing, insulation and water-resistive barrier protection. It is lightweight and saves builders time and labor costs by completing three steps in one pass around the house. Contact: Kelly Lewis, kmlewis@dow.com, p. 678-269-1322

3. Westcoat’s LiquidDazzle – Liquid Dazzle is a 100% solids epoxy with dynamic color-changing metallic additives that move and change when applied. Contact: Alexis Johnson, Alexisjohnson@westcoat.com, p. 800-250-4519

4. Panasonic Home & Environment Company WhisperComfort ERV – Ventilates polluted air with fresh air and transfers up to 70% of the heat and moisture to the air going out. Contact: Anita So, soa@us.panasonic.com, p. 201-392-4471

5. KleenDeck’s KleenWrap – A clear, thin, tear- and skid-resistant, breathable and recyclable material specifically engineered to protect subfloors during months of construction. Virtually all of the particulate air pollution is eliminated and the material cost is about 20 cents per square foot. Contact: Gary Kadlec, garykadlec@kleenwrap.com, p. 800-515-6406

About PCBC

PCBC is the largest regional builders’ show in the nation. Held annually at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, PCBC features an extensive display of product innovations from more than 600 of the industry’s leading manufacturers and suppliers and a four-day educational conference with more than 60 keynotes, seminars and workshops in fields ranging from business strategies to marketing to product design to applied technology. PCBC 2008 will be held June 24-27 and registration is now under way. For more information, visit www.pcbc.com, or call 800-956-SHOW.