Insulation Institute Blog

Posts By: Stacy Fitzgerald-Redd

Should Solar Generation Trump Energy Conservation?

As communities and municipalities look to adopt improved building energy codes to meet climate or resiliency goals, including additional requirements for solar PV energy production is a common discussion point.

There are often suggestions to allow for a larger PV system and forego other energy efficiency improvements that were included in the last few energy code updates. It’s argued that if a home has a solar PV system included, it is more cost-effective to expand that solar PV system than to make efficiency improvements such as improved windows, walls, or ceiling insulation. The question is, more cost effective for whom?

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Should Solar Generation Trump Energy Conservation?

700 Contractors Get Free Grade I Training

Early this year, Insulation Institute set out to train as many contractors as possible how to achieve Grade I installation with fiberglass batt insulation. We selected three trainers to conduct half-day sessions in four states: North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Texas. Thirty-three sessions have been conducted or planned, and 700 participants will have completed the free training by the end of the year.

Insulation Institute spoke recently with each of the trainers to get their feedback on the program and any key takeaways they wanted to share.

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700 Contractors Get Free Grade I Training

Air Sealing: Whose Job Is It Anyway?

An average of 22 subcontractors are involved in the construction of a new home.[1] With dozens of people involved, there can be a lot of confusion about whose job air sealing is, particularly if details aren’t spelled out within the scope of work or aren’t communicated effectively.

Ensuring that new construction homes are properly air sealed often means communicating with all trades so that they understand their respective roles in achieving airtightness targets. How you communicate the requirements may differ, but there are some commonalities that top builders have when it comes to assuring air sealing success.

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Air Sealing: Whose Job Is It Anyway?

Fiberglass Among “Best Insulation Materials from a Health Perspective”

Fiberglass insulations received a ringing endorsement in a recent report by Energy Efficiency for All (EEFA) that examines the health impacts of materials used in weatherization and energy efficiency upgrades for low-income multifamily housing stock.

The report reviews the materials used in these retrofits and ranks products – including various types of insulation – from least to most hazardous. According to the report, fiberglass insulations are among “the best insulation materials from a health perspective….and we recommend their use whenever possible.”

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Fiberglass Among “Best Insulation Materials from a Health Perspective”

Lessons From Brad Pitt’s Effort to Make It Right

What was a lofty philanthropic effort by actor Brad Pitt has morphed into a disastrous example of how poor construction of affordable, energy-efficient housing can negatively impact homeowners and put the builder and building designer in a precarious position.

NOLA.COM reported this week that in 2007, two years after Hurricane Katrina, Make it Right Foundation, organized by Pitt, set a goal of constructing 150 energy efficient, sustainable and affordable homes for residents of Louisiana’s devastated Lower Ninth Ward. The foundation constructed 109 homes, but just 11 years after the start of construction, reports say that some homes have issues including rotting wood, mold growth, dangerous air quality, and rusty sockets. The majority of the homes are currently unoccupied and some have been demolished.

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Lessons From Brad Pitt’s Effort to Make It Right

Master the Training, Witness the Test

In the quest to meet new energy code requirements of the 2012/15 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), some builders are finding that passing that all-important blower door test is their biggest challenge. As we’ve reported earlier this year, only 40 to 50 percent of new construction homes that must now meet the 3 ACH50 blower door target will pass the first test, but builders can increase the initial pass rate, according to Cosco Jones, owner of Jones Sustainable Solutions Group. Jones is a HERS rater who’s worked with more than a dozen builders to improve the energy performance of their new construction homes. He offered his advice to builders on how to not only increase the pass rate for blower door testing but also reduce their costs in the process.

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Master the Training, Witness the Test

Home Design with Wi-Fi in Mind

There are more Wi-Fi devices in use than there are people on Earth and about 50 percent of Internet traffic flows through Wi-Fi networks.[1] Wireless devices are everywhere, so it’s easy to understand why Wi-Fi connectivity is critical for homebuyers.  Virtually everyone has had that experience of being in a home or building that has weak Wi-Fi connectivity, and that can be a major headache for buyers who rely on Wi-Fi connections.

For builders, designing a home with connectivity in mind is essential to ensuring homeowners don’t have to keep asking, “is the W-Fi off??”

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Home Design with Wi-Fi in Mind

Don’t Park the Prius on the Roof!

Don’t Park the Prius on the Roof

In this age of technology, one of the great ironies of modern home shopping is that buyers more often than not consider resale homes first over new construction. In fact, in some markets, up to 90 percent of homes sold are lower priced, less efficient resale homes. Homebuilders can reverse that trend by demonstrating how and why newer homes outperform resales.

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Don’t Park the Prius on the Roof!

3 Commonly Missed Air Leakage Pathways

In our effort to help builders and contractors reduce air leakage in new construction homes, much of the focus has been on the building envelope. However, there are other areas outside of the building envelope that can prove problematic for air leakage. Bob Nelson of Ener-G Home Performance Consultants shed some light on three commonly overlooked areas that can contribute considerably to air leakage and often, help contribute to the 50 percent initial failure rate on blower door testing of new homes.    

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3 Commonly Missed Air Leakage Pathways

Eye on Fiber Glass and Mineral Wool Health and Safety

The Role of Data in Assessing the Potential Hazards of Man-Made Vitreous Fibers

The North American Insulation Manufacturers Association (“NAIMA”) occasionally gets questions about the health and safety of fiber glass and mineral wool insulation products.  To answer those questions, NAIMA is launching a new blog series.  Our first post is on the use of data in assessing possible fiber hazards.

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Eye on Fiber Glass and Mineral Wool Health and Safety