Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!
Thank you for a wonderful year in 2008! We wish all of our suppliers, dealers, and customers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!
Monday, December 22, 2008
Profitable in a down market???
2008 has been quite a year for the sustainable sectors of the construction industry. The slow-down and eventual recession has been the proverbial double-edged sword for many. Higher energy prices (overall) have driven consumers to become better educated and more informed of new and better technology. The credit crunch has forced businesses to get more creative and cut the fat in operations. And the companies that are focused on energy efficiency, recyclable materials, and environmentally friendly practices are seeing record growth....even in a down market.
We in the structural insulated panel industry have seen more people look to SIPs for residential and commercial structures than ever before. This trend has not been industry driven. Instead, the consumer has sought us out. This has caused us to refocus and look at who we are targeting with our marketing dollars.
Last week I blogged about the extreme cold temperatures many parts of the country are facing right now. Even with crude oil prices down and SUV travel temporarily up, the monthly heating bill still tends to sting a little without any measures taken to reduce consumption at the thermostat. Our structures utilize EPS (expanded polystyrene) foam as both structural and insulating material. Think of SIPs like living or working in a styrofoam cooler. Because we are air-tight and do not let moisture from penetrating, it takes less work for the heating/cooling systems to, well, heat & cool. This means fewer dollars going up in smoke when the temps plunge to sub-zero levels.
We have appreciated all of your business throughout the year. We also look forward to growing our business by doing the little things right. This means staying true to energy-efficient structures and continually taking care of our customers, distributors, and business partners.
Merry Christmas to you all!
Monday, December 15, 2008
When it's this cold, a warm house matters!
We in South Dakota are currently experiencing what some people call "bitter cold." This is a time of year when some people can literally see their heating bills go up in thin air. High energy bills at this time of year can be quite large, depending on the structure you are trying to heat.
Energy Star says there are two reasons for high heating bills in the winter. The first is the old adage of supply vs. demand. The other is inefficient components of your house or office building. They have compiled a checklist for homeowners to review to help bring your energy bills back down to earth.
Prescription Checklist:
1.) To get started today use our Home Improvement Tools to score your home’s energy use and generate a customized list of improvement. You will need one year of your utility bills handy.
2.) For best results hire a contractor who is an energy specialist to do an in-home evaluation. A good specialist will use diagnostic equipment to evaluate the performance of your home and generate a customized list of improvements.
3.) Improvements may include sealing air leaks, adding insulation (Home Sealing) or sealing duct air leaks. Some of these you can do yourself, but you may prefer to hire a contractor.
4.) Turn down the temperature on your water heater to 120 degrees F.
5.) Replace the light bulbs in your highest usage lights with ENERGY STAR CFL bulbs.
6.) When replacing lighting or appliances look for ENERGY STAR qualified light fixtures and appliances
7.) Install an ENERGY STAR qualified programmable thermostat, and use it to save energy while you are away at work.
8.) Contact your utility and ask if they offer any programs to help lower energy bills.
Monday, December 8, 2008
The R-Value Myth
Just about every project that I come across, at some point in time, I am asked what the "R-Value" of a structural insulated panel is. The answer that is given is based on testing data that is accurate based on the structure of the test, but there is so much left to the proverbial "reading between the lines" that it is hard for an average consumer to decipher between accurate data and marketing fluff.
I have found two resources that I would like to share with you. The first is a book written by David B. South entitled "The "R" Fairy Tale, The Myth of Insulation Values". In chapter 4 of his book, Mr. South writes,
"The R-value is a modern fairy tale. It's a fairy tale that has been so touted to the American consumer that it now has a chiseled in-stone status. But the saddest part of this fairy tale is that the R-value by itself is almost a worthless number. It is impossible to define an insulation with a single number. To do so, we must know more. So why do we allow the R-value fairy tale to perpetuate? I don't know. I don't know if anybody knows. What we do know is that the R-value fairy tale obviously favors fiber insulation. Consider the R-value of an insulation after it has been submersed in water or as a 20 mile-per-hour wind blows through it. In either of these scenarios, the R-value of fiber insulation goes to zero. But those same conditions barely affect solid insulations. That's why I believe that R-value numbers are misleading, meaningless numbers unless we know other characteristics."
Further in the chapter, Mr. South eludes to the benefits of an airtight structure and the benefits of hardboard insulation. He writes:
"The test used to produce the k-value is an ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) test. This ASTM test was designed by a committee to give us measurement values that -- they hoped -- would be meaningful. Unfortunately, the test was designed with a flaw or bias. Because of the way it's designed, the test favors fiber insulations: fiberglass, rock wool and cellulose fiber. Very little input went into the test for solid insulations, such as foam glass, cork, expanded polystyrene or urethane foam. Nor does the test account for air movement (wind) or any amount of moisture (water vapor). In other words, the test used to create the R-value is a test in non-real-world conditions. For instance, fiberglass is generally assigned an R-value of approximately 3.5. It will only achieve that R-value if tested in an absolute zero wind and zero moisture environment. Zero wind and zero moisture are not real-world. Our houses leak air, all our buildings leak air, and they often leak water. Water vapor from the atmosphere, showers, cooking, breathing, etc. constantly moves back and forth through walls and ceilings. If an attic is not properly ventilated, water vapor from inside a house will very quickly semi-saturate the insulation above the ceilings. Even small amounts of moisture will cause a dramatic drop in a fiber insulation's R-value — as much as 50 percent or more."The second resource I'd like to share with you is a website created by Randy L. Martin. His site, www.coloradoenergy.org, was designed to be the place to start when looking for energy efficiency or renewable energy information for Colorado. This all inclusive web site will point you to energy efficiency or renewable energy organizations or companies within the state of Colorado. It will also provide you with information you need to make your home or business more energy efficient.
For an list of independantly tested R-values of materials (and remember to go further than this), check out. http://coloradoenergy.org/procorner/stuff/r-values.htm
I have found two resources that I would like to share with you. The first is a book written by David B. South entitled "The "R" Fairy Tale, The Myth of Insulation Values". In chapter 4 of his book, Mr. South writes,
"The R-value is a modern fairy tale. It's a fairy tale that has been so touted to the American consumer that it now has a chiseled in-stone status. But the saddest part of this fairy tale is that the R-value by itself is almost a worthless number. It is impossible to define an insulation with a single number. To do so, we must know more. So why do we allow the R-value fairy tale to perpetuate? I don't know. I don't know if anybody knows. What we do know is that the R-value fairy tale obviously favors fiber insulation. Consider the R-value of an insulation after it has been submersed in water or as a 20 mile-per-hour wind blows through it. In either of these scenarios, the R-value of fiber insulation goes to zero. But those same conditions barely affect solid insulations. That's why I believe that R-value numbers are misleading, meaningless numbers unless we know other characteristics."
Further in the chapter, Mr. South eludes to the benefits of an airtight structure and the benefits of hardboard insulation. He writes:
"The test used to produce the k-value is an ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) test. This ASTM test was designed by a committee to give us measurement values that -- they hoped -- would be meaningful. Unfortunately, the test was designed with a flaw or bias. Because of the way it's designed, the test favors fiber insulations: fiberglass, rock wool and cellulose fiber. Very little input went into the test for solid insulations, such as foam glass, cork, expanded polystyrene or urethane foam. Nor does the test account for air movement (wind) or any amount of moisture (water vapor). In other words, the test used to create the R-value is a test in non-real-world conditions. For instance, fiberglass is generally assigned an R-value of approximately 3.5. It will only achieve that R-value if tested in an absolute zero wind and zero moisture environment. Zero wind and zero moisture are not real-world. Our houses leak air, all our buildings leak air, and they often leak water. Water vapor from the atmosphere, showers, cooking, breathing, etc. constantly moves back and forth through walls and ceilings. If an attic is not properly ventilated, water vapor from inside a house will very quickly semi-saturate the insulation above the ceilings. Even small amounts of moisture will cause a dramatic drop in a fiber insulation's R-value — as much as 50 percent or more."The second resource I'd like to share with you is a website created by Randy L. Martin. His site, www.coloradoenergy.org, was designed to be the place to start when looking for energy efficiency or renewable energy information for Colorado. This all inclusive web site will point you to energy efficiency or renewable energy organizations or companies within the state of Colorado. It will also provide you with information you need to make your home or business more energy efficient.
For an list of independantly tested R-values of materials (and remember to go further than this), check out. http://coloradoenergy.org/procorner/stuff/r-values.htm
The point is that there is more to an energy efficient structure than just how well the insulation tested in a perfectly controlled environment. Today's consumers are becoming more educated about energy efficient construction methods. Those businesses (architects & construction firms) that are not building "the same ol' way because that's what they've done for years" are seeing explosive growth in a down construction market.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Rock Hill Trails has begun!
We are proud to announce that the first Enercept SIP home in the Rock Hill Trails development in Wood River, IL is standing and on track for completion. Rock Hill Trails is a master planned community with a goal of low impact on the surrounding environment while providing a strong sense of community.
This project is a three phase development. The first phase includes both single and multi-family residential neighborhoods, light retail/commercial development, and utilizes native grasses and bio-zones to minimize the environmental impact of the development. According to Wellspring Development Corp., "First, the overall layout is dictated by the natural water flows across the
property. Honoring natural water flows not only provides for dryer homes and basements, but allows for a more efficient handling of storm water runoff. Bioswales and strategically distributed
bio-detention areas are used to slow the flow of water and remove surface pollutants prior to entering streams, rivers, and lakes."This is a development by Wellspring Development Corporation. The general contractor is Trumpet Builders, LLC. The SIP installation and management was completed by ECOS Materials. For further information, visit www.rockhilltrails.com. Tyler Morgan of ECOS Materials can be reached at www.ecosmaterials.com or (314) 249-7229.
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