Lights that copy daylight and concrete made with recycled materials are on the receiving end of grants from the Green Building Alliance.

The group's latest round of Product Innovation Grants divvies up $250,000 among five projects. The grants, which have now given out more than $1.2 million to 24 projects, are intended to push green building products into the marketplace and boost manufacturing in Pennsylvania.

Thar Geothermal and Energy Wall were each awarded $100,000. Thar Geothermal is working on a ground-scale geothermal heat pump that uses carbon dioxide to move heat. The grant will help it, along with Carnegie Mellon University, implement and evaluate a commercial-scale pump.

Energy Wall will work with Pennsylvania State University in making and testing a passive heat and moisture transfer membrane for ventilation air recovery.

Drexel University will get $20,000 to develop LED lighting that matches seasonal daylight, and it will work with Appalachian Lighting and other partners on the projects.

Drexel is also working with EcoBuilt Efficient Buildings, which is receiving $20,000 to test and marker MaqCrete, insulating masonry blocks made with recycled post-industrial materials.

Lastly, Pennsylvania State University was awarded $10,000 for investigating, along with USA Gypsum, using recycled gypsum in concrete, which would divert drywall from going to landfill.

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