The FUTURE is NET-ZERO
Thermapan SIPs can help you get there!
In a nutshell, a Net Zero Ready (NZR) home produces as much clean energy as it consumes. By incorporating renewable energy systems such as solar, wind or geothermal, NZR is the ultimate in environmental stewardship – and energy savings.
Renewable energy technologies at the home level, however, are expensive to install and are subject to inherent capacity limitations. The key to a successful and cost-effective NZR build is to ensure that you right-size these energy systems. And the best way to accomplish this is to minimize the energy used in warming and cooling the house.
That’s where Thermapan SIPs come in. There is simply no better building system for achieving ultra-high insulation and airtightness.
Insulation
The EPS insulation used in structural insulated panels has been proven to outperform traditional batt insulation – in the lab and in the real world. A 6.5” thick SIP (dimensionally equivalent to 2×6 stud framed wall with R-19 to R-21 batt insulation) delivers an equivalent R-Value of R-37.
Foundation SIPs, available up to 12.25” thick, provide an astounding R-75 rating.
Thermapan manufactures panels and provides installation details that surround the entire building envelope of a home: exterior walls, foundation walls, frost walls and roofs/ceilings. A home built with a full Thermapan SIP shell is the ultimate in insulation design.
Air-Tightness
Insulation on its own is just one part of the puzzle. After all, having the best insulation is pointless if a house is leaky. That’s why airtightness is such a critical part of energy efficiency.
In fact, air leakage can represent 25-40% of home energy loss, particularly for older, less airtight houses. But even in newly constructed homes using traditional fiberglass batt insulation, leakage occurs through open cells of the insulation, as well through tiny cracks, gaps and openings throughout the lumber frame.
SIP construction provides giant leaps in tightness. The closed-cell insulation and rigid, continuous nature of a panel minimizes seams and gaps, and consequently air leakage.
Net-Zero Design
Designing and building a Net-Zero Ready home is no easy feat. It requires expert design and engineering to devise key energy and HVAC systems. And it requires careful vetting of building materials, from windows, to ductwork, to – most importantly – insulation and building envelope components. Building with Thermapan SIPs can be one of the most rewarding strategies in your overall Net-Zero Ready goal.