For many years, North America has been “blessed with inexpensive energy. Those days are over and energy prices are only bound to increase,” according to a recent article in Mother Earth News. Rising energy costs, though change the economics of insulation, which is perhaps one of the reasons behind the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) quietly raising the standards for insulation.
In general, the colder the climate, the more insulation is recommended. And although many businesses like Henges Insulation have adhered to the DOE’s long-standing guidelines, the return on installing much higher levels of insulation is great.
Image via MotherEarthNews.com
According to the article, “What architects and builders haven’t been told is that some forms of insulation lose their R-value over time. R-value decreases, for example, if a loose-fill insulation settles. In addition, tiny amounts of moisture accumulation can dramatically lower the R-value of many forms of insulation. Architects and builders haven’t been told — and haven’t come to this realization on their own — that the point of diminishing returns shifts upward as energy prices increase.”
Check out how the increased recommendations can affect your home or your business on the DOE’s Web site.
