ENERGY STAR Version 3.0
Insulated siding can provide a 1 to 3 point improvement in the HERS Index of a 2009 IECC minimally compliant home. This improvement accounts for up to 23 percent of the total improvement necessary to achieve compliance with ENERGY STAR Qualified Homes Version 3.2
"More than 1 million ENERGY STAR® homes have been built in the United States since the program first began labeling homes in 1995. Thanks to the dedication of our partners, families living in ENERGY STAR® qualified homes will save more than $270 million this year on their utility bills, while avoiding greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from 370,000 vehicles."1
Siding Insulation and the ENERGY STAR Program
In order for a new home to become ENERGY STAR certified, it must meet EPA’s guidelines for energy efficiency. According to the program’s website, “ENERGY STAR Qualified Homes can include a variety of ‘tried-and-true' energy-efficient features that contribute to improved home quality and homeowner comfort, and to lower energy demand and reduce air pollution.”1
Due to its ability to reduce thermal bridging, insulated siding (vinyl siding with siding insulation laminated to the back) has been added to the checklist of products or methodologies that can help qualify homes under ENERGY STAR Qualified Homes Version 3. The new requirements will begin to be implemented in 2011 and will be required for single-family homes to earn the ENERGY STAR label by January 1, 2012. Builders who want to earn the ENERGY STAR label can use insulated siding to comply with Section 4.3 (thermal bridge reducer) when implementation begins in 2011.
Climate zones are geographic regions that exhibit similar weather conditions during the course of a typical year. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has identified eight major climate zones for the United States, with Zone 1 being the warmest (e.g., Miami and Hawaii) and Zone 8 being the coldest (e.g., Alaska). Zones 1 through 3 tend to be in the deep South and Southwestern United States, and Zones 4 through 7 cover the northern half of the continental United States, including the more mountainous regions. These climate zones are further classified as being humid, dry, or marine. A map of the climate zones can be found in Chapters 6 and 7.
In order for a product to be considered a thermal bridge reducer under the ENERGY STAR Qualified Homes Program, it must exhibit a minimum R-value of 3.0 (Climate Zones 1 to 4) or a minimum R-value of 5.0 (Climate Zones 5 to 8) by itself, or be used in combination with insulated sheathing. Additionally, ENERGY STAR notes in its Thermal Enclosure System Rater Checklist footnotes that the product shall provide the required R-value as demonstrated through either testing in accordance with ASTM C1363 or by attaining the required R-value at the minimum thickness of the insulation.14VSI believes that ASTM C1363 testing produces an R-value more representative of what will be achieved in the field and discourages the use of the calculated method, which may produce unrealistic R-values.
Learn more about siding insulation or request a siding quote online.
Insulated siding can provide a 1 to 3 point improvement in the HERS Index of a 2009 IECC minimally compliant home. This improvement accounts for up to 23 percent of the total improvement necessary to achieve compliance with ENERGY STAR Qualified Homes Version 3.2