Green Home Construction has been defined as the practice of minimizing the impact a building has on the natural environment. This reduction is accomplished through Reduced Energy Consumption, Material and Resource Conservation, Indoor Environment Quality, Water Conservation and Efficiency, and Sustainable Site Planning.
So why is Green Home Construction so important?: According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, buildings account for 39% of the total energy consumed in the US and 38% of carbon dioxide emissions. Taking into consideration the various ways a home might be classified as “green”, the reality is that it all comes down to energy. Energy to manufacture. Energy to ship the product. Energy to build a home. And ultimately, with the greatest long-term impact…Energy to heat and cool a home. Simply stated, house built using green home construction practices consumes less energy.
Green Home Construction with SIPs
Green Home Construction with RAY-CORE Structural Insulated Panels
Green home construction with SIPs creates a tight, high-performance building envelope with superior R-Values and minimal air infiltration. Oakridge National Laboratory’s Whole-Wall R-value study showed that a Structural Insulated Wall at an R-14 outperformed a 2x6 stick framed wall with R-19 fiberglass insulation. Their analysis found SIPs walls to have around 47% higher whole-wall R-values than conventionally built stud and fiberglass walls of equal thickness. Structural Insulted Panels reduce annual heating and cooling demands by up to 50 to 60 percent per year compared to conventional stick framed homes, making SIPs a strong choice for design professionals for use in green home construction, passive house construction, net zero homes and commercial buildings.
Furthermore, with energy used for heating and cooling being the largest contributor to air emissions, the energy efficiency of a SIP envelope reduces carbon dioxide emissions that cause global warming and toxic chemicals that can cause acid rain and ozone depletion. Other energy saving insight was drawn from the ORNL study, showing that a SIP home can perform up to 15 times better in airtightness than a comparable stick-framed home with fiberglass insulation. With 40% of the heat lost in a home due to air leakage, it becomes clear how important it is to have a properly sealed home.
SIPs construction panels have proven to be just that, a tight and well-sealed structure, with Energy Star expressing their confidence in the reliability of structural insulated panels by eliminating the need to perform blower door tests for SIP panel homes when seeking Energy Star ratings. The tight, well-sealed envelope of a Structural Insulated Panel building limits incoming air to the indoor environment, reducing common environmental pollutants such as pollen, molds, radon, and lead dust creating a healthier indoor environment, an important element of green home construction.
RAY-CORE SIPs ™ are Green!
Super insulated RAYCORE Structural Insulated Panels fit the mold for green home construction. Producing an environmentally friendly insulation panel that reduces energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions, RAY-CORE SIPs ™ panels are the perfect solution, building green and saving energy for the lifetime of your home.
Contact RAYCORE now for a free estimate and ask about discount pricing
By Email at: info@raycore.com or by Phone: 1.877.552.2440 or…
