Reduces heating and cooling loads

Dow Corning's Building Insulation Blanket is a flexible sheet impregnated with aerogel partciles that imparts very high insulation value relative to its thin profile. The HPI-1000 Building Insulation Blanket offers R-9.6 per inch in a 10 mm (0.4") thickness, for a unit value of R-3.84, and a Class A fire rating. The silica aerogel particles are embedded in a proprietary polymer that contains neither PVC nor flame retardant chemicals, according to Dow Corning. The HPI-1100 Building Insulation Blanket offers R-8.1/inch for the same thickness, and its aerogel is embedded in a nonwoven glass substrate, making it noncombustible. Both products are relatively expensive, at about $10/ft2, and are intended as thermal breaks in difficult-to-insulate applications like slab edges. According to Dow Corning, the blankets are easy to cut, bend, and glue, and are hydrophobic, while being vapor-permeable.

The Cascadia Clip is a fiberglass spacer designed for installing cladding over insulation, while reducing thermal bridging through the insulation. Offered in lengths of 2", 2.5", 4", 5", and 6" sizes, the Cascadia Clip offers both support for cladding and a thermal break for all-weather exterior insulation applications.

VIP Door offers residential doors consisting of an R-66 vacuum insulation panel embedded in a fiberglass frame. According to the company, the 1.75"-thick doors achieve R-30 overall. VIP doors are available with custom skins of stainless steel, aluminum, fiberglass, or wood veneer.

The PrevaLED line of modular LED light engines and modules are engineered for spotlights, downlights, and other applications. They offer CRI values over 80 and are available with outputs of 1,100, 2,000, and 3,000 lumens in color temperatures from 2700K to 4000K. The Cube Downlight modules and Core Spot light engines have efficacies as high as 106 and 116 lumens per watt, respectively. The PrevaLED HD (high definition) light engine is for use in high-quality lighting applications and comes with a control system that helps it achieve consistent CRI values over 90 (within a 3-step MacAdam ellipse) while still providing efficacies as high as 73 lpw.

General Panel Corporation produces an EPS-core SIP system. The company offers panels with a EPS core thicknesses of 3-5/8", 5-5/8", 7-3/8", 9-3/8", and 11-3/8" with corresponding R-values of 15, 23, 30, 38, and 46. The company produces panels in Mississippi and Tennessee.

Perlite is an amorphous volcanic rock that is expanded at very high temperatures to create a lightweight insulating material typically used for loose-fill applications. GAF adds up to 50% cellulose fibers and up to 20% asphalt to bind the perlite together in its EnergyGuard boardstock insulation for roofing applications. With inherent fire resistance and insulating value of R-2.78 per inch, EnergyGuard provides an alternative to polystyrene and polyiso boards. It is installed directly on top of a structural roof deck. GAF designed the product for use under built-up roofing or modified bitumen, so some single-ply roofing membranes may not be compatible with it. GAF offers the boards in standard 2'x2' and 4'x4' sizes and 3/4", 1-1/2", and 2" thicknesses.

GreenFiber offers seven varieties of cellulose insulation, all of them containing 85% recycled paper fiber (55% post-consumer and 30% pre-consumer). The various products are designed for specific applications, including spray, blow-in, and loose-fill insulation for attics, new-construction walls, and wall retrofits. Four are low-dust formulas and three are treated only with borate.

Somfy Systems manufactures a number of different systems to motorize window coverings and help regulate solar exposure. Their products can be applied to retractable awnings, rolling shutters, exterior screens, and interior shades. The systems are programmable and remote controllable, and can also be controlled via an Internet-based interface. Research suggests that motorized and automated window coverings significantly improve the energy performance of adjustable window coverings, in both homes and commercial buildings.

Venstar's ColorTouch thermostats double as high-resolution digital picture frames while still providing advanced controls and monitoring for home HVAC systems. These thermostats can hold photos for use as a slideshow, background, or wallpaper while providing wireless control and monitoring of the system and access to run times and energy use data. ColorTouch can be accessed via WiFi to alert occupants if there is a problem with the equipment or if the temperature has exceeded preset limits. A number of frame options are available.

Delta PCM—for phase-change material—made of salt hydrates, is available in two application-specific products: Delta-Cool 24 for suspended ceilings and Delta-Cool 28 for thermal mass in glass façades. Delta-Cool 28 uses PCMs encapsulated in plastic sheets and installed above ceiling tiles, where at ambient temperatures of around 72°F it begins to change from solid to liquid, absorbing 44 Wh/kg of thermal energy from the surrounding air. When the ambient temperature drops below 72°F the stored energy is released. Delta-Cool 28 is installed in a thin layer between panes of glass. At about 79°F it begins to melt, absorbing 1.2 kWh/m2 of thermal energy, which the company says can reduce interior temperatures by 7–10°F.

Okalux light-diffusing glass uses hollow capillary fibers hermetically sealed between sheets of laminated float glass. Distributed in the U.S. by Schott North America, this unique translucent glass prevents glare and shadows yet allows light to shine through while still providing U-factors as low as 0.9 for the company’s Okalux-P glazing (expect higher U-factors for the whole glazing unit). Okalux can be customized to maximize solar heat gain, sound attenuation, and UV protection for use in façades, glass roofs, partitions, and other applications.

Hammer & Hand, headquartered in Portland, Oregon, is a high-performance building contractor that also custom-manufactures wood doors specialized for use in Passive House buildings. The company focuses on achieving European Passivhaus thermal standards while producing doors that use standard hinges and other features more familiar to Northern American contractors and building owners. Doors typically include a polyisocyanurate core and can achieve R-11; those containing a vacuum-insulated panel may achieve R-16. A variety of woods, including regionally sourced lumber and products certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, can be specified.

CAFboard is a compressed-fiber panel manufactured by Stramit from wheat straw. The company markets the boards for SIPs, door cores, interior sheathing, acoustical panels, and many other applications. CAFboard is processed under high heat and pressure, which convert lignin already present in the straw into a natural binder—no binder is added, and testing shows zero VOC emissions. The boards have a STC ratings of 32 (for thinner boards) and 45 (for thicker boards); and a one- or two-hour fire rating (depending on thickness) based on ASTM E119/UL263. The boards contain no added flame retardants. CAFboard is available in densities from 15.6 to 40.5 pounds per cubic foot, and Stramit USA claims that the R-value of these panels ranges from R-2.32 to R-3.03. However, the company couldn't provide a lab report backing those claims, and we think they are exaggerated—see our full review for more discussion.

Stramit also claims high resistance to mold and mildew without added chemicals, low moisture absorption, natural termite resistance, and a negative carbon footprint. CAFboard panels range in thickness from 1.000" to 3.125" and are available in two standard widths—31.50" and 42.24". The company also incorporates CAFboard into two other Stramit products: the CAFsteel panelized building system and the CAFquiet interior partition system, which features an STC rating of 50.

Aerolon is a hydrophobic, UV-stable, and non-combustible insulating silica aerogel coating that is suited for use in hard-to-insulate applications. Aerolon coatings insulate to R-4.1 per inch, so a typical 2 mm coating provides only about R-0.32. This is not intended as an insulating layer for buildings, but it can be appropriate where only thin layers (a few millimeters) can be applied. The energy performance benefit of Aerolon coatings will be greatest when there would otherwise be no insulation—particularly on metal surfaces where heat loss and condensation problems can be most significant. It is also used on pipes, tanks, or other high-temperature applications to prevent burns from skin contact. Coatings are quite viscous and applied in thicker layers than most other coatings—typically 2 mm in an acrylic-based formulation, and thicker layers (up to about a half-inch) can be achieved with multiple coatings. Aerolon is available in a low-VOC, water-based, acrylic formulation with a VOC content of less than 50 g/liter. Aerolon is yellow in color; for most applications, a primer is applied, then the Aerolon layer, then a pigmented topcoat.

Sure-White is a white, single-ply EPDM membrane that meets Energy Star, Cool Roof Rating Council, and California Title 24 requirements for solar reflectance. Sure-White is available in 60- and 90-mil thicknesses, 10' to 30' widths (90 mil are only available in 10'), and 100' lengths. The wider sections and the use of Carlisle's pressure-sensitive SecureTape or FAT tapes help speed installation, according to the company. The length of the warranty on these products depends on installation, but a 30-year warranty is offered for 90-mil systems installed using Carlisle materials.