With residential and commercial buildings accounting for almost 40 percent of U.S. energy consumption, the green building movement has targeted commercial building energy use as a key factor in the fight against global climate change. Zero energy buildings take a two-pronged strategy to sustainable operation: they reduce energy use as much as possible, then generate [...]
A strong finish for the recovering housing market in the latter half of 2012 was not enough to keep the emerging structural insulated panel (SIP) industry in net positive growth for the year, according to a survey conducted by the Structural Insulated Panel Association (SIPA). The annual survey compiled data from 55 companies manufacturing wood-faced [...]
The closing of last month’s SIPA Annual Meeting & Conference had most of us sharing an optimistic view of things to come. Industry regulars and new participants reported an upbeat feel and a sense that it’s time to step out on the ledge and push this industry forward.
During my opening presentation, I gave an [...]
On April, 15, 2013, the Bertschi School’s Living Building Science Wing in Seattle, Washington, became the first Living Building on the West Coast and the fourth fully-certified Living Building in the world. Completed in February of 2011, the Living Building Science Wing adds a 3,880 sq. ft. interactive learning center to the [...]
SIPA member PanelWrights conducted a deep energy retrofit on a home in Shepherdstown, West Virginia during March of this year. Despite being built in 1985 and having attic insulation rated at R-50, blower door test results of 16 ACH50 revealed that much of the home’s heat was being lost to air leakage.
PanelWrights crews [...]
In effort to highlight the educational opportunities and marketing benefits of SIPA’s Registered Builder and Registered Master Builder programs, we’ll be regularly profiling SIPA members who complete the programs. Pennsylvania-based Bridlewood Builders was the first SIPA member to become a SIPA Registered Master Builder, earning recognition on the SIPA website and throughout [...]
SIPA member manufacturer Energy Panel Structures, Inc. has completed the purchase of Fingerlakes Construction Company, Inc. The Fingerlakes manufacturing division and personnel will remain at their company headquarters in Clyde, New York, with plans to add the broad line of Energy Panel Structures (EPS) products to enhance the growth of the facility.
Fingerlakes Construction Company [...]
The Structural Insulated Panel Association (SIPA) recognized eight homes and commercial buildings that utilized structural insulated panels (SIPs) to reach energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable design goals with the 2013 SIPA Building Excellence Awards. The winners were recognized during the Building Excellence Awards ceremony on April 3, 2013 at the SIPA Annual Meeting & Conference in [...]
Join SIPA and the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Building Systems Councils for an informative one-hour webinar on building green, sustainable homes with SIPs.
When: April 10, 2013, from 2:00 to 3:00pm ET
Where: Register online through the NAHB
Fee: Building Systems Council members ($19.95), NAHB members ($24.95), non-members ($44.95)
Credits: one [...]
In this new SIPA original video, electrician Trig Feltus of Destiny City Electric demonstrates how to install rough electrical wiring in a SIP home. Feltus tackles several of the common misconceptions about SIPs by showing how quickly and easily a skilled electrician can wire a SIP home, even with no previous SIP experience.
The [...]
