Opportunity Identification & Assessment
(see newly added Green Building Products link below)

A business or technology gap that exists between the current situation and an envisioned future in order to capture:

• competitive advantage
• respond to threat
• solve a problem
• improve upon a difficulty

Opportunities are the seeds of new product ideas. When ideas are combined with a form and technology, they become a concept. However, before an idea or concept has merit, they must respond to some opportunity.

• Any technological advancement (see for example: Systems-Based Innovation Packages)
• Code, regulations, and standards changes (see for example: NAHB National Green Building Program)
• Lack of mold liability insurance
• Overseas sourcing of products/materials (see for example: China Builder Practices)
• Demographic changes
• Lifestyle changes (see for example: Universal Design)
• Labor quality & availability
• Fluctuations in cost of materials
• Growth and decline in construction sectors

• Scan environments (ex. Industry Newsletters, Industry Technology Publications)
• Locate opportunities (ex. Key issues in manufacturing)
  • Can be market or technology driven
  • Within or outside building materials supply industry
  • Macro or micro trends
  • Anywhere in the entire value chain
  • Look also at end users and stakeholders
  • Spoken (explicit) and unspoken (implicit) needs
• Maintain pool of opportunities for idea generation
• Rank based on magnitude or relevance to firm

• Industry, Technology Publications
• Nation's Building News
(useful links to monitor economic and housing trends)
• Trade shows & industry gatherings
• Industry news
• Associations
• Committees, groups (policies, code changes, etc.)
• Independent research, such as observational research
  • Observational lab facilities
• Relevant committees & working groups
  • Innovation in Home Building
  (summary of an academic/industry report for HUD)
• Other sources of data, publications
• Patents filed, issued
• Outside realm of current business (ex. Risk Management)

Considerations for Developing "Green" and/or "Clean" Building Products

• What is a "green/clean" building product?
  • technologies enabling better use of scarce resources
    • CleanTech
    • Cleantech, Energytech, and the Government R&D Factor
    • Examples of Green Building Products
• Why is it important to incorporate green/clean concepts into the NPD process?
  • market is increasing
  • it reflects your company's conscious and awareness
  • funding is increasing in this sector from venture capitalists and angel investors
  • Building Green: Incorporating Sustainable Design
• What are some options for Green Certification?
  • NAHB National Green Building Program
• Where are the opportunities in Green building products?
  • Site-Design Innovations (ex. Land Use)
  • saving trees
  • Lot Design
    • constructing onsite storm water retention/infiltration features
    • orienting houses to maximize passive solar heating and cooling
  • Resource Efficiency
    • creating resource efficient designs and using resource efficient materials
      • engineered wood products
      • construction waste
      • recycling facilities and markets for recyclable materials
      • compare products through a process called Life Cycle Analysis (LCA)
      • raw material acquisition
        • product manufacturing process
        • home building process
        • home maintenance and operation
        • home demolition
        • product reuse, recycling, or disposal
      • durability of the material, product, building design, and installation
        • ways to minimize the effects of degradation and weathering
        • enhance life expectancy of the assembly
        • lessen maintenance needs
  • Energy Efficiency
  • innovations that minimize energy consumption: "whole systems" approach
    • in the production of the building-products materials
    • during the operation of a home
    • during the construction of a home
      • careful window selection
      • building envelope air sealing and duct sealing
      • proper placement of air & vapor barriers (foundation to attic)
  • Water Efficiency
    • efficient water-delivery systems indoors
    • native and drought-resistant landscaping choices outdoors
    • natural processes that filter and remove water contaminants
    • Water Efficiency - The Journal for Water Conservation Professionals
  • Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)
  • innovations that mitigate the effects of potential contaminants
  • controlling, diluting, and capturing the source through filtration
  • Mold and Moisture
  • Operation, Maintenance, and Homeowner Education
    • innovations that minimize homeowners failing to change air filters regularly
    • neglecting to operate bath and kitchen exhaust fans
    • using pesticides, fertilizers, and common cleaning agents
    • innovations explaining proper operation and maintenance procedures
    • alternatives to toxic cleaning substances & lawn/garden chemicals
    • water-saving practices
• Home Improvement Market
  • A Business That Focuses in Green Building Materials

  Sources

  • Policy makers
  • Green Building Industry education and events
  • Download a copy of the NAHB Model Green Building Guidelines (3.5MB PDF)
  • Environmental data about Green-Building Material/practices
  • Top-10 Green Building Products of 2007, 2008

  Examples of Green Building Products Innovators

  • Hycrete, Inc.
  • Morris Ginsberg roofing building materials, equipment and supplies
  • Serious Materials
  • GigaCrete
  • Purfresh (formerly Novazone)
  • Silver Spring Networks
  • Top 100 leading private companies in cleantech