Insulation Institute Blog

Posts Categorized: Insulation

DOE Updates ZERH Specs, Provides 45L Details

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) last month released the latest version of the Zero Energy Ready Home (ZERH) requirements for single-family homes. Version 2 of the ZERH requirements included an update of the thermal envelope insulation levels to those required by the 2021 Residential IECC, whereas the previous version (V1 Rev 8) stipulated 2015 IECC thermal insulation requirements. DOE also highlighted the new tax credits available to builders through the 45L builder energy efficiency tax incentive.

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DOE Updates ZERH Specs, Provides 45L Details

Ekotrope Spots $160M Missed Opportunity for Builders

A new analysis from Ekotrope, the leading provider of home energy rating software, shows U.S. home builders might leave money on the table. Ekotrope software is used to generate energy efficiency insights for one in four U.S. homes. Its analysis concludes that if the homes built this year were slightly more energy efficient, builders could claim more than $160 million in projected tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act’s (IRA) builder tax credit (45L).

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Ekotrope Spots $160M Missed Opportunity for Builders

Rule Your Attic Kicks Off Next Week

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ENERGY STAR annual “Rule Your Attic” campaign kicks off on Monday, October 17. The annual campaign encourages homeowners to go into their attic, check their insulation levels, and air seal and insulate if needed. Most homes will need to add insulation as 9 out of 10 U.S. homes are under-insulated.

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Rule Your Attic Kicks Off Next Week

We Should Talk About Insulation More

“We need to think about insulation, or to start thinking about it in the first place,” says a Vox news story this week. As part of a series that addresses our warming world, Vox writer Neel Dhanesha calls insulation the climate solution hiding in our walls. There’s no time like today — Earth Day — to talk about insulation’s important role as a tool for pollution reduction.

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We Should Talk About Insulation More

25 Checkpoints for Inspecting Insulation Jobs

Most home builders have a point-person responsible for ensuring that tradespeople are completing their work as specified. For some, that means there’s someone physically walking through homes after the insulation has been installed to ensure that the job is done properly. But do they know where to look? Our 25 checkpoints guide can help.

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25 Checkpoints for Inspecting Insulation Jobs

Blown-in Insulation’s Measures and Checks

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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Blown-in Insulation’s Measures and Checks