Getting Serious About Energy-Saving Building Products

Kevin Surace is serious about energy saving building products.

The CEO of Sunnyvale, California-based Serious Materials, Surace and his team develop and manufacture sustainable green building materials that dramatically reduce the impact of the built environment on the climate.

Voted number one at the Cleantech Venture Forum XII, Serious Materials has also won the Aspen Institute award for innovation in Corporate Energy Conservation and the Global Gypsum Product of the Year. The company's success has not been lost on the media, where TIME, CNN, Fortune, and Business Week have all recognized Serious Materials as one of the most promising green companies.

Serious Materials aims for breakthroughs in product performance, without requiring changes in customer behavior, or in how products are used – thus speeding market adoption. Examples of the company’s products are Serious Windows, high-performance insulated windows and glass, which can reduce heating and cooling energy costs and emissions up to 40%. Windows are a US$20 billion dollar market in the U.S.

Meanwhile, Serious Materials' QuietRock, soundproof drywall, can reduce material use, enhance livability, and support denser, more sustainable urban construction. LIkewise Serious' EcoRock, a green alternative to standard drywall, uses 80% less energy to produce its core, resulting in 80% lower CO2 emissions. The 35 billion square feet of drywall produced in the U.S and Canada each year represent a US$6 billion dollar market opportunity.

The firm currently manufactures products in four U.S. locations: Sunnyvale, California; Newark, California; Boulder, Colorado; and Vandergrift, Pennsylvania. The company seeks to create thousands of green collar jobs here in the U.S. Products are widely available through building products dealers in the U.S. and Canada.

Surace leads the company in its mission to reduce the energy usage and CO2 generation of the world’s largest energy consumer--our buildings. By developing new materials and processes that require little energy to manufacture, and advanced products which dramatically improve the insulation and comfort of homes and offices, climate change can be minimized and the U.S. can lead the world in the next industrial revolution. Surace received his degree in electrical engineering technology from Rochester Institute of Technology where he currently serves on the Board of Trustees and has been awarded nine patents.

Recently, Surace was named Entrepreneur of the Year by Inc. Magazine in its December 2009 issue feature cover story.

An annual honor, Entrepreneur of the Year recognizes the individual that has achieved the most in his field throughout the year. The magazine selected Surace based on his passion for the environment, his keen ability to grow a profitable company, and his entrepreneurial drive.

“I am humbled by this incredible honor from Inc. Magazine. My team and I have had an amazing year,” said Surace. “The impact that buildings have on the energy crisis and environment is tremendous, and we are changing the game. As we move into 2010, we look forward to another year of growth and opportunities with our partners and customers.”

In the Inc. article Surace said the built environment (building construction and maintenance) is one of the biggest opportunities to change the world.

“The built environment presents a far greater opportunity than oft-demonized cars and light trucks, which produce 9 percent of emissions,” Surace said. "The built environment is responsible for 52 percent of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. We can slash that number by re-engineering common products that use or lose the most energy, such as drywall and windows. It’s time to get serious about energy-saving building products.”

Image courtesy of Serious Materials