Using the invention of University of Illinois professor Bil Becker, the team behind Aerotecture builds wind electric turbines called Aeroturbines to help buildings produce renewable energy. The spectacular design will grace the rooftops of commercial and multifamily residential buildings; already you can see a battery-free example on the Helmut Jahn-designed Near North SRO.
If you think your bathroom is a real drain, Bathaus can help you put the plug on waste. This high-end bathroom fixture and accessories shop imports the award-winning Caroma "dual-flush" toilet from Australia, a eco-friendly toilet whose half- and full-flush modes can save upwards of 65 percent of your toilet's annual water usage.
This largely solar-powered building houses offices for green organizations like the GreenCorps Chicago, as well as an eco-focused library. The space is open to the public and hosts workshops and classes for adults throughout the year. Interested in getting certified in programs related to green design or landscaping? This is the place to jump-start your education.
With the mayor on its side, the city has plenty of plans for saving the environment, including numerous grants for green roofs available to residences each year, a green home design competition and energy-efficient light bulb giveaways. Keep an eye on its website to find out about Chicago's latest green programs.
This downtown gardening center is all about organic gardening: 90 percent of its products fit the bill. Find items like earth-friendly weed-killers (corn-gluten weed prevention), citrus pest killer, organic soils, compost and fertilizers and even plants that reduce indoor air pollution. For $140, you can also purchase rain barrels, 50-gallon plastic containers that collect storm water which you can then use on your lawn.
Open since 2005, this building supply shop assists businesses and homeowners in building energy-efficient, eco-friendly buildings and interiors. Services include helping businesses to achieve LEED and Energy Star certification. Products run the gamut, from non-toxic paints and stains to eco-friendly flooring (such as palm, cork, bamboo and reclaimed wood) to kitchen and bath supplies to energy-efficient windows and skylights, all within the scope of sustainability.
These Glenview folks recycle lumber from the Chicago-area urban forest, a sustainable resource. Rather than wasting the wood by selling it as firewood or mulch, the company takes advantage of the interesting grains and high quality (many of the trees are 150-250 years old) by transforming the wood—everything from black walnut to red oak—into flat, rift and quarter sawn lumber in various thicknesses and widths that can be used as home flooring or transformed into fine cabinetry or furniture. If you're having a tree removed from your own yard, Horigan can custom mill and kiln dry it to your specifications.
These self-described "energy detectives" work as eco-minded consultants with home owners, developers, builders and architects before and after buildings are constructed. In addition to doing energy audits and ratings (the company has the ability to offer an Energy Star certification), these guys are able to help with greening your home or high-rise from the ground up, touching on everything from using low VOC paint to lowering building emissions.
If you're worried that your toilet is flushing away your best intentions, Niagra's products will help reduce your water wasting. Its water-conservation products include accessories for your toilet, shower and sprinkler. Items like a shower timer, a Frugal-Flush Flapper (which saves up to 50-percent of water used per flush) and a low-flow showerhead cost as little as $5 each.
