Photos: Eco-ideas for the home and business

This may look like a chunk of brown glass hung on the side of the house, but it's really a "solar collector" for heating a home. This hot-air solar panel, made by Environmental Solar Systems, was one of a handful of solar collectors on display at the Building Energy conference. Generally, they are made with glazing that is heated by the sun. The air beneath the glazing gets hot and is circulated into a building through fans.