Energy Star Certified

Using SIPs can cut energy consumption by as much as 60% making SIP homes Energy Star Certified.
Energy Star Homes:

• Save homeowners money on utility bills
• Typically have higher appraised value
• Qualify for energy-efficient mortgages and tax credits
• Are usually more durable and comfortable than standard homes

A LEED project validates environmental achievement and provides verification toward federal, state and local government incentives.
The rating system is offered for both residential and commercial projects and SIPs offer a significant amount of points towards the 
​certification process. An overview follows.

Premier SIPs have been incorporated in buildings receiving green ratings under the following certified programs:

Energy Certification

SIPS Meet Green Standards

Convective Looping

As warm air rises and cold air sinks in a conventionally framed wall cavity, a
natural phenomenon called thermal or convective looping occurs, wasting valuable energy. Unless the insulation is a solid material to stop this air movement, it doesn’t matter what the insulation’s R-value is. What good is insulation if heatcarrying air can flow through it and the cavities in the wall? SIPs’ solid insulation core helps eliminate this.

What SIPs Are

SIPs consist of an insulating, expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam core laminated between two sheets of oriented strand board (OSB) using a structural adhesive. This engineered system provides an extremely strong building panel that needs no additional frame or skeleton for support. Our large, pre-fabricated SIPs make the framing process faster than other building methods and enable a more airtight, well-insulated building for high energy efficiency.

SIPS Meet Energy Efficient Requirements

Insect & Mold Resistant

• The non-toxic, environmentally-sound additive used in the SIPs we recommend have proven not to support the growth of three types of common building mold and have been effective in deterring insects in the products
  
• Topical treatments are available to assist in water proofing for wet climates

Structural Insulated Panels

Why is Green Building Important?

Green building is 60% more energy efficient than standard construction, reduces air infiltration and outside pollutants, saves operating costs after completion, and qualifies projects for green certifications and tax credit programs such as Energy Star, LEED, National Green Building Standard, and Calgreen.

• Little or no temperature change when moving from floor to floor, making for a more comfortable environment
  
• Airtight exterior walls, reduce transmission of most common sounds
  
• Warming in the winter, and cooler in the summer
  
• Reduced heating/cooling bills by up to 60%
  
• Superior indoor air quality, with reduced penetration of outdoor pollutants, may benefit individual with respiratory ailments
  
• Stronger than traditional framer methods to protect against mother nature
  
• Peace of mind through a sound warranty
  
• In most instances, SIPs homes have a higher resale value
  
• May help homeowners quality for federal and regional tax credits

Occupant’s Energy Savings

Developed by the Building America division of the U.S. Department of Energy, this program is dedicated to research and practices towards zero-energy construction. This rating program’s scale is based on the popular HERS (Home Energy Rating System) index – a metric used by Energy Star and the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET). SIPs give builders an advantage in meeting this challenge.

Builder’s Challenge

Whole Wall R-value (Energy Efficiency)

When all of these factors are considered, it makes sense that the ORNL’s whole wall R-value tests showed the following R-values for SIP versus stick-framed buildings:

Air Transfer

Air leaks through joints in sheathing and the inevitable gaps between lumber connections and between wood framing and the insulation. SIPs dramatically reduce air transfer within walls and roofs by minimizing these joints and by providing solid, continuous insulation across each panel’s height, width and depth. SIPs can be manufactured up to 8’x24’ without joints in the OSB, whereas typical stick-frame sheathing is typically only 4’ wide. Air can also leak through electrical and plumbing holes that are drilled in lumber studs.

Building with Tomorrow’s Standards-Today

When it comes to energy efficiency requirements, virtually all local, state and federal building departments
have set aggressive requirements to help lessen energy consumption and carbon footprints of homes and
commercial/public buildings. In many cases, such standards become increasingly stringent year-by-year,
with the eventual target of net-zero consumption.
SIPs are rigorously tested to meet and exceed building code standards and energy efficiency requirements,
helping them achieve some of the highest insulation/R-values (and load capacities) in the SIPs industry.
With SIPs as the foundation, the targeted performance measures below can be achieved today, providing
immediate energy efficiency savings (up to 60%) over traditional construction. So why wait?

Why Are SIPs Important to Building Green?

Buildings account for 39% of the total US energy consumption and 38% of carbon dioxide emissions.

• Green buildings use less energy, reduce carbon dioxide and pollutants in the environment and play an important role in reducing the burden on the world’s natural resources.
• Choosing to construct buildings that use natural resources more efficiently can help create a sustainable future. Legislators and governments recognize this and are mandating new energy-efficient building codes, so building green is no longer an option in many places.
• There are economic benefits as well, since energy-efficient building costs less to operate and can cost less to construct.
• Efficient structures can also create a healthy indoor environment, and studies have shown that building with healthier indoor air quality can actually improve employee, student and occupant productivity.

The Advantage of SIPS

SIPS are an alternative to conventional framing as an energy-efficient option that allows you to save time, energy, environmental resources and MONEY, all while offering one of the highest performing building envelopes available today.

Endless design resources including: specifications, drafters to panelize your plans and a staffed technical center for SIPs conversion assistance

• Ideal for residential and light commercial applications
• High design values for wind loads, snow loads, and seismic activity
• SIPs make it make it easy to achiever green certifications by improving energy efficiency up to 60%
• Keeps designers on the cutting edge of technology
• The benefits of building with an engineered product rather than the unpredictable characteristics of dimensional lumber
• Structures may not require a roof truss system, making SIPs
  ​ideal for extra living space & cathedral ceilings
• Factory controlled manufacturing for precision and accuracy

Architect’s Advantages

SIPs maintained their stated R-Value in whole wall testing:

Airtightness in SIPs

In a study by the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, two
identical test rooms were built side by side. One stick-framed, one SIP-framed. Rooms were tested for air infiltration and the SIP room was FIFTEEN times more airtight, and more energy efficient than the stick-framed room. This alone illustrates how critical airtightness is to a building’s energy efficiency. The science behind air infiltration in framing products explains the key types of air movements and their effect on energy efficiency. The airtightness of a SIPs home has been repeatedly confirmed with blower door tests. In fact, Energy Star does not require a blower door test for SIPs homes to earn the Energy Star rating.

How SIPS Save Energy​

Greener

• Up to 60% more energy efficient than 2x6 R19 construction*, and factory cut SIPs dramatically reduce jobsite waste over stick-frame construction
  
• SIPs create a tighter envelop (blower door test down to .05ACH), significant reducing air infiltration and outside pollutants, creating exceptional indoor air quality (IAQ) and a healthier environment
  
• Ideal product for green certifications, including LEED, National Green Building Standard,
  Energy Star, Building America, and qualifies for federal and regional energy tax credits
  
• While other foam cores off gas over time, reducing product R-value, EPS maintains its
  R-value and energy performance

Developed by the NAHB and the ICC, the ICC-700-2008 National Green Building Standard is ANSI approved and is the basis for many
other green building codes and guidelines in development. SIPs can help enable builders and homeowners to qualify for the highest
levels of point within the program.

National Green Building Standard

LEED Certified

Thermal Bridging

Thermal bridging occurs where there is a continuous element (such as studs within traditionally framed walls, and stud-to-siding connections) between the cold and warm faces of a wall. These wood elements form a bridge between the inside and outside that can allow heat or cold to pass through by conduction. Simply installing R-19 batt insulation in a stick wall doesn’t mean the whole wall will have a R-19 R- value because there is still a significant amount of thermal bridging in traditionally framed stick walls. Stick-framed buildings rely on lumber at regular intervals to provide structural support. 15-25% of the shell of a stick-framed home is lumber, compared to as little as 3% in the shell of a typical SIP framed home.

Stronger

• Extensive testing validates that SIPs load charts and seismic design data are superior

• Capable of spanning up to 20 feet without trusses, ideal for cathedral and vaulted ceilings
• Continuous OSB sheathing allows building owners the option to hang shelves and pictures virtually anywhere
• Insect and mold resistance from application of non-toxic, environmentally sound EPS additive and OSB topical treatments

STRAIGHTER

• Engineered and prefabricated product is straight and predictable

• Reduced callbacks, warps, twists and cupping as dimensional lumber dries are virtually eliminated
• Solid drywall backing and factory pre-cut doorways, windows, walls, floors and archways mean much faster finish work

Builder’s Benefits

How SIPS Benefit Project Team

Under the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES) of 2009, the DOE is required to establish codes that achieve 30% improved savings on energy in 2011 (over the 2006 IECC Index), and 50% energy savings by 2014 for all new homes. Many states require even higher energy savings. SIPs-framed structures are already achieving up to 60% energy savings, and are the perfect enabler for those trying to achieve even greater savings. Why wait?

• Programmed delivery and faster framing installation with jumbo pre-cutroof, wall and floor panels
• Consistent and predictable engineered product
• Stronger than traditional lumber framing
• Reduced callbacks and warranty claims
• Up to 60% less jobsite construction waste
• Reduced HVAC system costs
• Fewer trades to coordinate
• Can help contractors qualify for valuable tax credits
• SIPs are a true differentiator when it comes to quality construction

Can SIPs

Qualify

​

Requirements​