While some states have aggressive stretch energy code requirements, other states lag in their efforts. A new report from WalletHub, a personal finance company, analyzes data from various government agencies in 48 states and ranks each in their building, auto, and transportation efficiency. The report finds that Utah is the most energy-efficient state while South Carolina is the least. So how does your state rank?
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Peggy Smedley hosts the No.1 digital transformation and internet of things podcast in the nation. She has spent the better part of the past two decades teaching companies about the disruptive and innovative capabilities of technology and how to leverage those technologies for a better world. A passionate advocate for sustainability, Smedley believes that smart home technology can play a role in helping home builders affect national sustainability goals.
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Author and Marketing Expert Kelly McDonald of McDonald Marketing recently offered sage advice to insulation contracting company owners attending the 2021 Insulation Contractors Association of America (ICAA) conference in San Antonio last month: You must get smarter about recruiting and retaining employees. McDonald laid out proven strategies to hire and retain workers and called out five big mistakes that companies make that derail their recruiting efforts.
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Next Wednesday, October 6, marks the sixth celebration of Energy Efficiency (EE) Day 2021 (EEDay2021). EE Day is a collaborative effort including dozens of energy efficiency advocacy groups in the U.S., including the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), Alliance to Save Energy, National Resources Defense Council, and regional energy efficiency organizations. The goal is to encourage consumers and organizations to save money, cut pollution, and create jobs by focusing on energy efficiency.
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In home construction, getting great air sealing and insulation are the Holy Grail in delivering a high-performance home with an effective thermal envelope. The prevailing belief among many in the building industry is that only spray foam insulation can deliver the thermal performance and airtightness that is required but that simply isn’t true. Moreover, installed costs are a top consideration for most builders, thus finding products that can help builders meet thermal performance and airtightness targets for less is important. Insulation Institute looks this week at new case studies for residential construction that show even the most aggressive airtightness targets can be met cost-effectively without using spray foam.
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For more than 25 years, the ENERGY STAR® Homes program has positioned itself as the market leader in cost-effective, energy-efficient new home construction. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) advertises that homes built to ENERGY STAR specifications are 10 to 20 percent more efficient than homes built to code1. But behind the advertising claim, what does an ENERGY STAR really demand from homes bearing its label? The ENERGY STAR Homes program reference designs for Versions 3 and 3.1 include 2009 and 2012 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) envelope requirements, respectively. Oddly, the program’s inspection checklists only require the thermal envelope to meet 2009 IECC prescriptive requirements. ENERGY STAR also allows homes to go below 2009 IECC insulation2 levels if improved air sealing is achieved.
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Man-made vitreous fibers (MMVFs) or synthetic vitreous fibers (SVFs), specifically glass, rock/stone or slag wools, have multiple end-use applications but are most commonly used as insulation. MMVFs have been studied by health and safety experts for decades. Most notably, the potential carcinogenicity (ability or tendency to produce cancer) of these fibers has been evaluated by toxicology studies in the form of large epidemiological cohort studies of MMVF manufacturing workers, in inhalation studies in experimental animals (in vivo), and in laboratory fiber solubility studies (in vitro).
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Architects play a critical role in the push to decarbonize the built environment, which accounts for 40 percent of global CO2 emissions. A new and urgent global appeal to architects to accelerate their participation in decarbonization is being driven by the founder of Architecture 2030, Edward Mazria. He recently wrote an open letter urging designers to cut carbon emissions in response to a new intergovernmental assessment on climate change. In that letter, Mazria highlights three steps designers can take to accelerate zero carbon goals.
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Blown-in insulation installers know that measuring it in an attic is key to delivering the required thermal performance and receiving a Grade I install. That is typically accomplished by installing attic rulers throughout the space, so there is one for every 300 sq. feet of attic space. Accurate measures are needed to meet code requirements, according to Chris Conway, President of Conway Energy, a building science consulting firm that specializes in single and multi-family construction. No matter how experienced the installer is, you’re going to want to measure every time and check in multiple locations. But there are times when that measurement can be off.
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John McManus retired last August from Hanley Wood after a nearly 20-year career in various senior editorial roles. Post “retirement,” McManus launched a brand-new publishing endeavor, The Builder’s Daily, a digitally published newsletter filled with thought-provoking and informative insights for the building industry. Insulation Institute recently talked with McManus about his new venture and the changes that are happening in the construction industry.
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