Structural Insulated Panels

As a green contractor or new homeowner, it can be tough to choose the best "green" materials to use when building a home.  For the structural framing, there are quite a few options.  If using wood is the best for your area, instead of using standard "stick framing" with wooden studs, Structural Insulated Panels (or SIPs) can be used, sometimes for reduced cost, and usually for greatly reduced energy consumption.

SIPs are panels made of slabs of rigid foam insulation surrounded by "skins" (panels) of compressed oreinted strand board.  (For the most earth-friendly option, soy-based foam with non-ozone depleting ingredients can be used, and the panels should contain only urea formaldehyde-free glues.)  Thus you have solid, air-tight, insulating panels for each wall or piece of the house.  During construction, panels are lowered onto the foundation by crane, and set carefully in place by the contractor's team.

Consistent Insulation: SIPs are fully consistent materials, which means that a single wall will contain none of the gaps or compression in insulation you might find among standard wood studs.  This makes for a very heat-efficient home.

Airtight Walls: The panels themselves are already airtight.  On top of that, as SIPs are solid large panels, there are fewer joints in the house to create air leaks.  Up to 40% of heat or cool air loss comes from air leakage, so SIPs dramatically reduce heat loss and thus energy use.

Cleaner,Greener Construction: Compared to stick framing, there is much less job-site waste on a site with SIPs.

Savings: The overall costs of construction with SIPs and standard stick framing are usually about the same, but the energy savings gained from having a heat-efficient home are dramatic.

Green Ratings: The consistent insulation and air barrier provided by SIPs make them a contributing material toward Green Star Homes and LEED Home Ratings.

For more info on SIPs, you can visit the SIPA website.