EcoTechnologies founder Andrew Tanner moved to Sarasota five years ago to raise a family after 20 years of designing and importing handmade Italian clothing on

Fifth Avenue

in New York City.  He planned to build environmentally friendly, hurricane-resistant homes priced from under $250,000, but the state of the economy directed his attention toward the energy conservation products he wanted to use in his new homes.

 

So what’s he doing now? It’s not exactly couture, but it’s just as exciting, says Tanner, the son-in-law of Sarasota real estate broker/developer Peter Laughlin, who has joined him as partner.

“We just delivered 250 waterless urinals to Sarasota County,” Tanner says. “They will save 12 million gallons of water and $500,000 a year.”

Tanner says he’s also installed soy-based foam insulation in a building that will lower air conditioning consumption by 50 percent. His solar hot water systems will lower the electric bill by 25 percent. 

EcoTechnologies includes four divisions: EcoSolar, EcoInsulate, EcoWater and EcoAir (respectively focusing on solar power, natural insulation, water conservation and air purification).

EcoSolar’s photovoltaic (PV) solar systems use a new technology that adheres to the roof like wallpaper and outperforms solar panels by 15 percent, according to Tanner. They’re more visually appealing—none of those big, reflective crystalline panels jutting from the roof—and resistant to winds up to 180 mph. They’re also ideal for Florida consumers since they’re more tolerant to heat and shade than conventional solar panels.

Tanner is currently engaged in numerous projects in the Sarasota-Manatee area. “I think more than anything the awareness of our products has increased because of the price of electricity and gas,” he says. —Alex Krinsky