Avoiding the Global Warming Impact of Insulation

Continuing Education

Continuing education credits are available to our subscribers for reading this article. Once you are logged in, please see more continuing education information at the end of this article.

Two common foam insulation materials are produced with hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) blowing agents that are potent greenhouse gases— extruded polystyrene (XPS) such as Dow Styrofoam of Owens Corning Foamular, and standard closed-cell spray polyurethane foam (SPF). While all insulation materials reduce greenhouse gas emissions (by saving energy), insulating with thick layers of either of these two particular foams results in very long “payback periods” for the global warming potential of the insulation, thwarting even the best attempts to create carbon-neutral buildings. The bottom line is that designers and builders aiming to minimize the global warming impacts of their buildings should choose fiber insulation (cellulose, fiberglass, or mineral wool) or non-HFC foam insulation.

...

To read the complete article, please login below.

BuildingGreen.com