Last week, I attended Greenbuild International Conference + Expo 2026 in the North Hall of the Javits Center here in NYC.

After being overwhelmed by shows like CES and InterSolar Europe, the smaller scale of Greenbuild was a welcome break. At the show, there were a few heat pumps and Copper brought their battery-backed induction range, but less emphasis was placed on renewable energy storage and energy efficiency than other events. Many of the people I talked to had not heard the emissions reduction requirements of New York City’s LL97, which was a major motivator of Build Expo in the Spring. I also did not see much media presence at the show.

However, what stood out at Greenbuild was an emphasis on green materials. Although some of these companies had appeared at other shows, I had more opportunity to discuss and really get into the details at Greenbuild. A few exhibitors stood out.

Durra Panel was the first product to really attract my attention. Throughout history, straw has gotten a bad rap in parables. In contrast to the “Three Little Pigs” folktale, Durra Panel is using straw to create a building material that is not only more sustainable but, in many ways, better than traditional materials.

The standard boards are 96% compressed straw and 4% recycled craft paper. The process uses heat and pressure to bond the straw together with naturally occurring lignin, with no added binders needed. In the process, the straw panel gains a 1-hour (60-minute) Fire Resistance Level (FRL).

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