Moisture is involved in most building envelope performance problems, including mold growth, metal corrosion, and other material degradation. In fact, home repairs due to moisture-related issues cost an estimated $32B annually, according to the Federal Reserve Bank.
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According to research from the Sierra Club, roughly 50 percent of tenants in the U.S. are cost-burdened by utility payments. As building owners nationwide address much-needed energy efficiency improvements in aging rental housing stock, there’s a growing emphasis on mitigating steep rent increases for renters.
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New research released this week from Data for Progress reveals that a bipartisan majority of American voters know about energy efficiency (68 percent) and that it can reduce energy consumption at home and lower household costs. Additionally, U.S. Energy Information Administration data shows that U.S. energy consumption per household declined by 32 percent between 1980 and 2015 even with rising electrification and appliance use. Yet, despite the broad awareness of and appreciation for energy efficiency, most voters are unaware of top actions and incentives for efficiency improvements.
Maximizing energy performance to cost in new construction homes is every home builder’s goal and every home buyer’s expectation. Research shows that home buyers want energy efficiency but also need affordability. For builders committed to maximizing efficiency, fiberglass and mineral wool insulation products offer both performance and cost-effectiveness.
In this week’s blog, we highlight three publications that demonstrate that fiberglass and mineral wool can be used to meet any high-performance building approach.
Details »In new construction homes, it’s pretty common for insulation contractors to miss hidden air leaks. In our 10 Hidden Air Leaks in New Construction Homes, we detail the top locations for hidden air leaks. One location is cantilevered floors.
A new tool that leverages the capabilities of NAIMA’s 3E Plus pipe insulation thickness calculator for commercial and industrial facilities is now available. Within just a few minutes, the 3E Estimator can give users a ballpark estimate of the energy and emissions savings by adding insulation to the piping in an industrial facility.
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We end this year as we’ve done for the past 7 with a list of our top blog posts. If you’ve been following our blog for a few years, thank you for your loyalty. We hope we’ve shared interesting, thought-provoking topics and look forward to bringing you more content in the new year!
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WalletHub has released its annual survey of America’s most and least energy-efficient states. The personal finance site’s evaluation of residential energy efficiency notes that the average U.S. family spends at least $2,000 annually on utilities. Notably, the U.S. Department of Energy estimates that adopting energy-efficient measures (such as air sealing and adding additional insulation) in a home could reduce utility bills by 25 percent.
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Summer 2023 has been a doozie, hasn’t it? And the season isn’t over yet.
July was the hottest month globally since records have been kept, and likely, the hottest in 120,000 years, according to Scientific American.[1]
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How long would your home remain comfortable and habitable in the event of a power outage in this summer’s brutal heat? The answer might depend on how well insulated your home is, according to a new report released by the U.S. Department of Energy. Analysis from the report, Enhancing Resilience in Buildings Through Energy Efficiency, finds that homes built to meet or exceed the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) extend the habitability of buildings by 120 percent during extreme cold and up to 140 percent during extreme heat.
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