Structural Insulated Panels Provide Tight Building Envelope, Substantially Reduce Energy Use in Three of the National Awards Program Homes

Fife, Wash., February 25, 2010 – Three of the winning homes in the NAHB Research Center and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) nationwide “2010 EnergyValue Housing Awards” (EVHA) rely on Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) manufactured by one company – Premier Building Systems.  “Silver” award homes built by Clifton View Homes, Gold Medallion Homes, and Bridgewater Innovative Builders incorporate Premier SIPs in their walls and/or roofs.  Premier SIPs help create a tight building envelope to reduce home heating and cooling costs by up to 60 percent.  The EVHA are the nation’s preeminent energy efficiency awards, honoring the top 20 builders each year who voluntarily incorporate energy efficiency into all aspects of new home construction.   www.pbssips.com

Studies conducted by the DOE’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory found that rooms built with SIPs have 90 percent less air leakage than stick-framed spaces.  According to Sam Rashkin, National Director of ENERGY STAR for Homes, “A SIP house has fewer joints, less complicated interfaces between conditioned and unconditioned spaces, and it is dramatically easier to make it tight.’”

Premier SIPs offer large energy savings in both hot and cold climates.  The company’s panels have been used in homes and commercial and institutional buildings from Alaska to Florida.

“As the U.S. pushes toward energy independence, we anticipate that SIPs will be used more frequently in projects across the country,” says James Hodgson, general manager of Premier Building Systems.  “They’re a big part of zero-energy homes, which more cities and states are requiring – notably California.  And, SIPs today can help meet the American Institute of Architects’ ‘2030 Challenge’ that calls for carbon neutral buildings within 20 years.”

Premier SIPs are an advanced building technique using prefabricated insulated components for walls, roofs and floors. They consist of two outer skins of oriented strand board (OSB) and an inner core of insulating expanded polystyrene laminated together to form a monolithic building panel with high-energy efficiency. They replace conventional stud or "stick frame" construction and need no additional insulation or skeleton for support.   In addition to high energy savings, Premier SIPs help meet other green building goals such as improving indoor air quality and reducing jobsite construction waste by up to two thirds.

About Premier Building Systems
Premier Building Systems, a division of Carlisle Construction Materials, leads the construction industry in the research, development and manufacturing of high-performance, energy-efficient structural insulated panels and innovative construction framing materials.  Headquartered in Fife, Washington, Premier operates manufacturing facilities in Fife and Phoenix, Arizona.  For more information about Premier’s products and services, call (800) 275-7086 or visit www.pbssips.com