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Net Zero Deep Energy Retrofit – Energy Conservation Specialists

Bill McKnight is no rookie when it comes to energy-efficient building. His company, Energy Conservation Specialists, is a leading New York residential and commercial energy-efficiency consulting firm, specializing in the field of historic preservation and restoration in the Hudson Valley.

Bill and his wife, Melinda Terpening McKnight, are passionate about history, their community, and energy efficient building. With over 20 years in the field of deep energy retrofits, Bill has achieved both BPI Accreditation and Energy Star Certification, teaches building science at Ulster University in NY, and has been featured in Home Energy Magazine.

 

Vibrant History, Energy-Efficient Future

We had the opportunity to work with Bill  and Melinda on a recent net zero deep energy retrofit of a historic Port Ewen home that will soon become the new ECS company headquarters.

Originally built in 1850, the house has been in the Terpening-McKnight family for nearly 40 years, and was in danger of being torn down after a devastating fire. Bill and Melinda decided to restore it, and move their company into the space. The building will not only be energy-efficient, it will achieve net-zero certification, meaning it will consume only as much energy as it produces.

WATCH:  Net Zero Deep Energy Retrofit with ECS and ThermalBuck  

A signature of deep energy retrofits, is both interior and exterior insulation on the walls and roof, completely eliminating the thermal bridge through the building envelope. Thorough air sealing is crucial to achieving the desired performance. Having worked for years installing windows with rigid foam, Bill knew the challenge they presented in creating a thermal break at windows and doors, as well as potential moisture damage in the building envelope.

“You wouldn’t be able to seal a wood buck like that. We can feel confident that everything on the outside is completely sealed.”

-Bill McKnight, CEO, Energy Conservation Specialists

 

ThermalBuck Integration with The Building Envelope

Bill chose to install his triple pane Earthwise windows with ThermalBuck because it extends and insulates the mounting point to reduce thermal bridging, and create a flush plane for cladding. It also acts as an air and water barrier, and completes the continuous insulation of the building envelope. With his background in building science, he knew it would do a better job preventing moisture than a wood buck in the building envelope.

WATCH:  ThermalBuck Installation with Energy Conservation Specialists  

The proper integration of building materials is critical to an efficient building envelope. Take a look at how simple the installation of ThermalBuck is, and how easily it integrates with the WRB.  You’ll see why Bill McKnight feels a lot more confident keeping moisture out of his building envelope with ThermalBuck.

 

Behind the Scenes in Port Ewen

 

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For more information on deep energy retrofits, read “Planning is Key to Net Zero Deep Energy Retrofit”.

 

Planning is Key to Net Zero Deep Energy Retrofit

You’d have to live under a rock (completely sustainable housing) if you didn’t realize that climate change, and rapidly increasing energy prices are a hot topic in today’s world. But why is the focus on the building industry?

Buildings consume nearly half of all the energy produced in the United States.

Globally, the percentages are even higher. Which explains why much of Europe is paving the way in both commercial and residential energy-efficient building.

It’s important to understand that energy-efficient building is about more than energy-efficient materials. A great deal of planning is needed to ensure the proper integration of materials and design, to achieve the best possible outcome.

Energy-Efficient Building

Passive Design, and Net Zero Energy Building (NZEB) are the two primary concepts for energy-efficient building. Passive Design uses a combination of climate-based passive and active design strategies to minimize the usage of energy, materials, and water.

Passive homes focus on the absolute minimal amount of energy use possible to heat and cool the building.

In 2015, the Passive House Institute of the US released the only passive building standard based upon climate-specific comfort and performance. The goal was to find the right balance between the up-front investment in a passive build, and the long-term payback, to achieve the most comfortable and cost effective building possible. Learn more at phius.org.

The basic premise of a Net Zero Energy Building is that they generate as much energy as they consume.

Designed to minimize the amount of energy they need to operate, and with renewable energy systems that meet their energy needs. Solar, wind, and geothermal are examples of renewable energy systems.  Design considerations to achieve net zero energy include passive solar design, triple pane or triple glazed windows, and high performance building envelopes. The US Department of Energy Zero Energy Ready Home program has been working to promote Net Zero building since 2008. Learn more at energy.gov.

Both Passive Home and Net Zero Energy Home certifications are generally based on the HERS Home Energy Rating Score, and certified by third parties, such as the Living Building Challenge.  To learn more about the certification process, click here.

The Deep Energy Retrofit

Most of the discussion about passive or net zero design centers around new construction.  It just makes good sense to plan ahead for the future. However, considering that the majority of the building inventory in the US was built prior to 1990, there is even more opportunity for energy savings in renovating and retrofitting existing buildings.

As the experts at Green Building Advisor explain, the process usually begins with a home energy audit and building analysis. Energy usage reductions are achieved through a whole-building approach, including insulation, heating and cooling systems, lighting, appliances, and water usage. A typical simple energy retrofit focuses only on individual upgrades, like heating and cooling.

Deep Energy Retrofits are a whole-building approach to maximizing energy efficiency.

The key to success in a deep energy retrofit, is utilizing skilled building science professionals who have the experience planning the integration of these systems into existing structures. Look to organizations such as the Building Performance Institute to direct you to certified professionals in the industry. That’s how we found Bill McKnight, CEO, Energy Conservation Specialists.

 

WATCH:  Net Zero Deep Energy Retrofit with ECS and ThermalBuck  

 

With over 20 years in the field of deep energy retrofits, Bill has achieved both BPI Accreditation and Energy Star Certification, teaches building science at Ulster University in NY, and has been featured in Home Energy Magazine. To learn more about the historic renovation project we worked on with Energy Conservation Specialists, and see how ThermalBuck was used to create a thermally efficient building envelope, read the full installation story here.

The Poplar Network features a clear-cut piece by Rob Freeman that explains the difference between Passive and Net Zero. For a more detailed reference, an excellent resource is Net Zero Energy Buildings, by Steven Winters Associates, Inc., a respected authority on building science and efficiency. It was featured in 2016 in the The Whole Building Design Guide, a program of the National Institute of Building Sciences which focuses on the latest technology and “whole building” design techniques. Data was also sourced from architecture2030, whose mission is to address climate change problems with design solutions of the built environment.      

ThermalBuck Featured as High-Performance Wall Solution at Net Zero Event

The California Energy Commission (CEC) presents “Countdown to 2020”, a members-only event for the North State Building Industry Association (NorthState BIA) in Sacramento, CA on February 9th, 2017.

Designed to highlight the upcoming 2020 energy code requirements for Net Zero in new residential construction, this event will explain the specific requirements for High-Performance Attics & High-Performance Walls, and review a number of prescriptive solutions to meet the requirements.

ThermalBuck has been featured at a number of events presented by the Workforce Instruction for Standards & Efficiency (WISE) program, a partnership of the California Homebuilding Foundation (CHF), CEC and Consol.  The WISE program is designed to train builders on how to achieve the new energy code requirements for HPA & HPW, through education of best practices and innovative products, providing a number of prescriptive solutions for builders and architects.

The format of the upcoming Countdown to 2020 event features a roundtable discussion with a panel of experts to discuss the upcoming code requirements.  Included is a Q&A Session for all of the builders, architects, tradespersons, installers, and product manufacturers in attendance.

Panelists

Mazi Shirakh, PE, ZNE Technical Lead for the CEC, with over 20 years of experience in the CEC Building Energy Efficiency Standards program (commonly known as “Title 24”).

Nancy Nelson, Architect at OAG Architects, specializing in production housing in the California market.

Shawn Mayer, Principal, Harris & Sloan Consulting Engineers, Inc., provider of engineering and consulting services as well as forensic analysis throughout the U.S.

Moderator Lori Moreci, VP of Purchasing, Meritage Homes, the first net zero national homebuilder, will facilitate the discussion.

Sponsors

Over 15 sponsors & exhibiting companies will showcase specific products that will help achieve the standards required by the 2020 energy codes, including ThermalBuck, CertainTeed, Owens Corning, and TruTeam.

  • DuctTesters, Inc.
  • TruTeam
  • 5 Star Performance Insulation
  • Villara Building Systems
  • CalCERTS, Inc.
  • AirScape Inc.
  • CertainTeed
  • Timberworks Construction
  • California Living & Energy
  • BRINC Building Products, Inc.
  • Atlas EPS
  • Citadel Roofing and Solar
  • Legacy Windows, Inc.
  • Valley Duct Testing
  • Owens Corning
  • E3 California
  • Brazos Urethane, Inc.

The event is only open to members of the North State BIA, will be held from 8-11 am at the Holiday Inn Downtown, Sacramento, CA.  For more information and to register, click here.  

The North State BIA has over 500 members in the Sacramento region, representing nearly 500,000 jobs.  Follow this link for membership information.  To view our most recent ThermalBuck presentation in San Ramon, California through the WISE program, click here.   

Continuous Insulation – Making the Right Choice

If you’ve made the decision to include continuous insulation on your building, it’s time to pat yourself on the back.

The International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) has required continuous insulation since 2012. When the building envelope is insulated on the outside, it not only improves the energy efficiency, it also helps to reduce the possibility of moisture damage through thermal bridging.

WATCH:  ThermalBuck installation using polyiso CI  

Which type of continuous insulation should you choose? Good question.

Each type of insulation has different thermal properties, costs, features, and installation requirements, so you really need to consider what matters most in your application.

ThermalBuck is compatible with all types of continuous insulation, and will simplify the installation process.  It solves many of the common challenges builders find when installing windows with continuous insulation, and make the installation more energy-efficient by insulating the rough opening – typically a source of energy-loss in the building envelope. 

Types of Continuous Insulation

There are three main types of continuous insulation: rigid foam, mineral wool, and cork. The most widely used is rigid foam, which is split into three main categories: EPS, XPS, and Polyiso.

Expanded Polystyrene (EPS):  R-4 per inch

EPS is the most commonly used rigid foam. While it has the lowest R-value, it’s also the least expensive around .31 cents per sq. ft., which makes it a favorite for code compliance within budget. EPS does absorb water, and has the lowest compressive strength of the rigid foams.

Structured Insulated Panels (SIPS) and Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFS) are comprised of EPS. Insulfoam, a division of Carlisle Construction Materials, is largest manufacturer of block-molded expanded polystyrene (EPS) in North America.

It is important to note that EPS should be used over housewrap, and supported by OSB or plywood when used as sheathing.  

 

Extruded Polystyrene (XPS):  R-5 per inch

Many green builders discount XPS right off the bat, because it is the least environmentally friendly option. It contains the flame retardant HBCD, and its blowing agents have high global-warming potential.

However, with it’s higher R-value and moderate pricing at .47 cents per sq. ft. it is widely used. It’s stronger than EPS, and more water resistant, making it a preferred choice for under-slab and below grade applications.

XPS is available faced or unfaced, which affects the vapor permeability. Owens Corning Foamular “pink board” is some of the most widely recognized XPS on the market.

 

Polyisocyanurate (Polyiso or ISO):  R-6.5 per inch

Polyiso is the most expensive of the three types of rigid foam, as much as .70 cents per sq. ft. for a 1″ thick panel. However, the higher R-values often make the added expense worthwhile in the long run.  All polyiso is faced on both sides, most often with foil.

Polysio is considered the most-environmentally friendly of the three foams. It does absorb water, and generally cannot be used below grade. Johns Manville is a leading manufacturer of polyiso foams.  

One of the primary benefits of polyiso, is that it can often be used as a WRB behind your cladding. While it may cost more upfront than EPS or XPS, not installing a separate WRB component can save a considerable amount. It really depends on your climate, if this feature will be a long-term benefit, or present a building science challenge. 

 

Mineral Wool:  R-4 per inch

When you think mineral wool, you think of Roxul, easily the best known brand on the market. Mineral wool is also known as stone wool because it is made of basalt rock and steel slag, making it a favorite choice of green builders.  Easy to work with, fire-resistant, sound resistant, and water resistant. It’s the only insulation recognized by code as a firestop.

ComfortBoard is Roxul’s exterior insulation.  With an R-value of 4, it is lower than most rigid foams, however, there is no reduction in R-value over time, which will happen with foam insulation materials that rely on lower-conductivity blowing agents that slowly leak out or allow air to leak in.

Mineral wool is highly vapor-permeable and easy to install. Roxul is approximately .64 cents per board foot. 

 

Cork:  R-3.6 per inch

Thermacork, is the most widely recognized an all-natural rigid insulation material made from expanded cork. It offers excellent acoustic control, is highly durable, has high vapor permeability, and meets fire-safety requirements without flame retardants. It is labeled Red List Free for use in Living Building Challenge projects.

Cork is by far the greenest of the green in the insulation category, but it’s significantly higher cost and limited availability make it more of a niche product.

It’s important to take your specific climate into consideration when evaluating building materials.

EPS and XPS increase in R-value as the temperature drops.  A great thing if you’re in Wisconsin. However with Polyiso, the R-value actually decreases when the temperature drops. Not such a great thing when you’re in Wisconsin.

To choose the best continuous insulation for your project, analyze all of the variables: performance needs, climate, building codes, and budget.

No matter which continuous insulation you choose, proper installation is critical to achieving the desired performance.

Our energy-efficient homebuilders in Utah, Thomas & Melissa Griffiths, did extensive research on the features and benefits of the different types of exterior insulation, and decided on Atlas EnergyShield Polyiso for their dream home.

Thomas wanted the highest R-value his budget would permit, and appreciated the fact that he could use the continuous insulation as his WRB. To eliminate the thermal bridge around their Alpen 525 Series windows, they chose ThermalBuck. Take a look at their recent ThermalBuck installation below.

ThermalBuck simplifies the installation of windows with all types of continuous insulation, making a truly high-performance building envelope.  To see additional installation steps, strength and installation challenges, view the ThermalBuck Installation page.

For an in-depth conversation about rigid foam types, we recommend the experts at Green Building Advisor. For additional videos of polyiso installation, we recommend this one by Synergy Construction.  Of course we would recommend the use of ThermalBuck over the plywood bucks, to limit thermal bridging and improve the performance of the window installation.

While written in 2010, this piece from Green Building advisor about Using Rigid Foam as a WRB, still has merit.  Updated in January of 2016, ICC document AC71 Foam Plastic Sheathing Panels Used as Weather-resistive Barriers establishes guidelines for evaluation of foam plastic sheathing panels used as water-resistive barriers in combustible construction. See your rigid foam manufacturer specifications for more information.  

Austin builder Matt Risinger features ThermalBuck on an episode or Risinger Goes Rogue

ThermalBuck Goes Rogue with Austin Builder Matt Risinger

Texas has always been famous for cowboys, gunslingers, and rodeos (not to mention the best steaks and BBQ you’ll find anywhere). But you may not have realized that it’s also the home to one of the fastest growing construction industries in the U.S.

Led by multi-family housing starts, construction growth is fueled by an increasing population, a healthy housing market, and a strong environment for investment. Drive anywhere across this beautiful state and you’ll witness construction cranes, and rapid building progress in all shapes and sizes.

WATCH:  Risinger Goes Rogue featuring ThermalBuck   

Matt Risinger

Where construction is booming, you’ll find award-winning homebuilders.  At the recent Energy & Environmental Building Alliance (EEBA) Conference in Dallas, TX, ThermalBuck had the good fortune to cross paths with the most famous builder to call the Lone Star State home, Matt Risinger. Not only a well-known builder, Matt is also a respected media personality in the building industry. Matt was the closing speaker for the 3 day event held at the end of September, 2016.  The close-knit and collaborative nature of this particular conference invites plenty of opportunities to interact with attendees, presenters and manufacturers alike.  Matt’s keen interest in emerging products and new technology brought him to ThermalBuck on the trade show floor, where he spent some time with our president, John Brooks.

Risinger Homes

To meet Matt in person, is to realize right away that he is the real deal. Smart, humble, hard-working and passionate about good building science, Matt has earned a considerable following of nearly 34,000 subscribers to his You Tube channel, Build with Matt Risinger.  Since it’s launch in 2008, Matt’s building videos have earned him nearly 10 million views. Pretty impressive for this full-time builder and owner of Risinger Homes, and part-time marketer.

Matt has earned his reputation for excellency the old-fashioned way, through years of hands-on construction work, and the innate desire to do things the right way.

“I build homes that are dramatically more energy efficient, durable, healthy, and comfortable than most new homes in America.”

Risinger Homes is doing just that – building some of the finest homes in Texas. Combining Matt’s work ethic with his passion for technology, easy manner and marketing savvy, Matt has crafted a great reputation as a building science expert.

Risinger Goes Rogue

Not only does Risinger Homes build multiple high-end homes a year, he also spends countless hours appearing at building events and trade shows, as well as creating videos for Risinger Goes Rogue. Matt maintains a strong presence on social media, building his audience through his natural presentation ability, straight-talk and credibility. His strong family values, faith, and outlook on life are a bonus to those who seek out his expertise. Followers of Matt’s social media accounts can watch day-to-day progress of the homes he is working on, and learn proper building techniques along the way.

matt-risinger-with-videographerRisinger Goes Rogue recently featured ThermalBuck, a smart, simple solution to the challenges builders face when installing windows with continuous insulation. 

We appreciate Matt sharing ThermalBuck with his avid followers, and look forward to collaborating with Risinger Homes in the future. One thing we can be certain of, is that we will learn a thing (or two).

Risinger Homes started building exclusively for architects in 2005.  Matt’s building science expertise has been documented in Fine Homebuilding, The Journal of Light Construction, and Custom Home Magazine, to name a few.  He is also an award winning blogger, the two-time winner of the JDR Best Blogger Award.  Enjoy the beauty and craftsmanship of Matt’s work through his instagram account, twitter, or facebook. The Texas building statistics sourced for this post were found at investopedia.com.  

ThermalBuck Outperforms Wood Bucks 2:1 – Thermal Transfer Testing

Improving the energy-efficiency of new and existing construction has long been a focus of the building industry. When it comes to insulation, exterior is the choice of many architects and builders, because it eliminates the thermal bridging through the studs.

However, continuous insulation presents its own unique challenges with installing windows and flashing the rough openings. The mounting point is no longer flush with the sheathing, it must be extended out to meet the exterior insulation depth. Rough openings are always a weak spot for potential water infiltration – and extending the mounting point for windows compounds the problem.

Until ThermalBuck hit the market, there really wasn’t a good way to insulate and create a thermal break around the mounting points of windows & doors. The traditional method to bump out windows was to build a wood window buck. Wood does extend the mounting point, but it doesn’t hold up well to moisture, and it has a low insulating value. With an r-value range of 4.4 per inch, ThermalBuck is a better insulator than wood. But how much? We performed some third-party testing to find out.

 

ThermalBuck installation vs. wood buck installation - thermal break           

Thermal Transfer Performance: ThermalBuck  vs. Wood Buck


Using thermal imaging, we recorded the performance of ThermalBuck against a traditional wood buck in a controlled environment. In the two mock-ups below, three temperature sensors were placed on both the ThermalBuck installation (l) and the wood buck installation (r). The temperature condition on the exterior of the structure was -6.67 ºF, and the indoor of the structure 72.76 ºF.  

 

Performance -Thermal Image wood buck vs. ThermalBuck           thermalbuck vs. wood window buck

These photos show two window installations side by side. (l) ThermalBuck (r) traditional wood buck. 

 

54% More Heat Transfer with Wood vs. ThermalBuck

On the exterior of the structure (point A) the wood buck looses 7.88 ºF, or 14.55 ºF total degrees from the outside temperature. ThermalBuck only loses .11 ºF , or 6.78 total degrees from the outside temperature. The wood window buck allows twice as much energy to escape, while the window installation with ThermalBuck is effectively limiting thermal bridging.

thermalbuck vs wood buck thermal transfer testing drawings
thermalbuck insulating value data charts with Rockwool photo vertical

 

ThermalBuck High-Performance window buck creates a significant thermal break at the mounting points of windows & doors. Using ThermalBuck as part of your continuous insulation solution is an effective way to limit the amount of thermal bridging that occurs through your building envelope.

To learn more about thermal bridging, see what the experts have to say at greenbuildingadvisor.com

Editor’s Note: This article was updated in July 2018. The testing results and thermal images were not changed.

AIA Annual Convention in Philadelphia

ThermalBuck to Exhibit at the Architecture and Design Event of The Year

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is hosting their annual convention in the historic city of Philadelphia, May 19th -21st.

Billed as the architecture and design event of the year, attendees from all over the world will gather to attend workshops, seminars and events, and collaborate with experienced and emerging professionals in their field.

Some of the unusual and highly coveted experiences such as the tour of “Historic Boathouse Row” sold out early. But plenty of great workshops are tours still have spots available. First on our list is “The New Building Envelope”, featuring presenters Douglas Noble and Karen Kensek of the University of Southern California School of Architecture, and co-founders of the Facade Tectonics Institute. Also part of the presentation panel for this session are Mic Patterson and Jeffrey Vaglio, of Enclos, one of the largest specialty contractors in the US.

ThermalBuck joins nearly 800 exhibitors displaying the latest in products and technology. Please be our guest on the expo floor at AIA 2016, and view our wall displays in person to see exactly how ThermalBuck outperforms traditional wood bucks to build a better building envelope.  

PHRC conference March 2016 John at booth explaining ThermalBuck benefits and features to attendees and presenters

Building Science Tradition Carries On in Happy Valley

The welcoming staff of the Pennsylvania Housing Research Center (PHRC) organized an excellent line up of presenters and exhibitors for the 24th Annual Housing and Land Development Conference, held on March 2-3, 2016 at the Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel in State College, PA as part of the 2016 Industry Education Week. ThermalBuck™ was proud to be one of the sponsors of Housing Day, and enjoyed the chance to catch a few of the outstanding presentations throughout the conference.

Theresa Weston, Ph.D, a member of the DuPont™ Building Knowledge Center, presented “Choosing an Insulation Strategy“, a highly-informative discussion about what factors really count when planning an insulation strategy, and how to compare and contrast the products available with the specific needs of each project.  Example wall systems were reviewed, as well as the criteria for an effective R-value.  Cost components and criteria are major factors, but not just immediate investments of materials and labor.  Long-term costs are a significant factor, in both regards to performance, and reliability.

Our next session was entitled “Energy and Heat Recovery Ventilators (ERV/HRV): Design + Installation Best Practices for Balanced Ventilation Systems in Houses and Apartment Buildings.”  Mechanical ventilation in a structure has traditionally been limited to kitchen and bath exhaust fans, to help with spot control of both moisture and odors.  With the continual advancements in building techniques and materials focused on tighter building envelopes, and the updates in the 2012 IECC, the demand for whole-house ventilation has become much more significant.

Presenter John Semmelhack of Think-Little, focused on two specific whole-house mechanical ventilation systems, ERV’s and HRV’s.  John’s in-depth presentation showed us how to navigate the challenges of understanding exactly how ERV’s and HRV’s work, what the difference is, and how to decide which ventilation system would be the right fit for a structure.  Once a decision is made, the costs and functions of each different product available on the market can be significant.  John’s extensive knowledge of the variables of these systems was extremely helpful, and also reinforced the benefits of utilizing experienced consultants for specific aspects of a project.  One of the most beneficial pieces of information was a comparison of product certification labels attributed to each system, through both the Home Ventilating Institute (HVI) and the Air-Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration Institute (AHRI). While both of these well-respected organizations certify products,  knowing how to analyze the specific data on the labels is crucial to achieving the performance outcome that is desired.

Nothing is quite as costly as a lack of experience when making decisions, and these two presenters truly showed the value of gathering input and research, the importance of due diligence in understanding how to evaluate products and systems, and the need to make project-specific decisions for the best possible outcome.

HiResPHRCLogoThe PHRC is truly an excellent resource for builders, architects, engineers, contractors, manufacturers, anyone involved in the building industry in Pennsylvania.  If you haven’t yet been to one of their conferences, or participated in one of their webinars, we recommend you becoming a member, and including them as a valuable resource for building science advancements in the future.

 For another great resource on “Whole-House Mechanical Ventilation Code, Safety and Performance Considerations” for low-rise residential buildings, please visit homeinnovation.com.