2 Mar

Premier SIPs Used in Several 2010 EnergyValue Housing Awards Homes

Posted by sipablog in SIPs in the Press.

Structural insulated panels provide tight building envelope and substantially reduce energy use in three of the national awards program homes.

Auburn, WA (PRWEB) February 27, 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.’”

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

11 Feb

Follow the Construction of a High Performance SIP Home on the INHS Blog

Posted by sipablog in NYSERDA, SIPA News Stories. Tagged: , , , .

SIPA is proud to be a member of a team that is helping builders like Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services (INHS) build energy-efficient homes through the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority’s (NYSERDA) High Performance Residential Challenge. INHS is the second builder to start construction on an energy-efficient SIP home in New York State, following Kraft Construction, who is expected to complete their project in March.

The good folks over at INHS have been documenting the construction of the 1,800 sq. ft. home on their blog. Working with crews from SIPA Dealer/Distributor member Panel Pros, they were able to install most of the first floor walls in a single day.

10 Feb

Structural Insulated Panels Help Seven Top Builders Claim Energy Value Housing Awards

Posted by sipablog in SIPA News Stories, SIPs in the Press. Tagged: , , , , .

Dexter, Michagan home from EVHA winner Fireside Home Construction

January 18, 2010 – Twenty of the nation’s top energy-efficient builders were recognized at the 2010 Energy Value Housing Awards (EVHA) presentation in Las Vegas, Nevada.  Now in its 15th year, the program recognizes elite builders who are constructing and marketing cutting edge energy-efficient homes.  It is managed by the NAHB Research Center, and operated in partnership with the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and the U.S. Department of Energy through the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

Although the winning entries varied across the competition’s categories from affordable homes to high end custom homes, seven of the winners had one thing in common: structural insulated panel (SIP) construction.

A panel of industry experts selected the winning homes based on energy value, design, construction, marketing and customer relations efforts.  Energy efficiency is measured using the industry-standard HERS Index, a third-party test that measures home energy use based on the home’s air infiltration, insulation, appliances, and other technologies used in the home. Continue reading

8 Feb

SIPA Remembers Bill Porter

Posted by sipablog in SIPA News Stories. Tagged: , .

William H. Porter, visionary entrepreneur, business owner, athlete, husband and father, died November 10, 2009 at the age of 82. Bill was one of the founding fathers of SIPA and he will be greatly missed by his friends, family and colleagues.

Born January 15, 1927, in Richmond, Ohio, to William L. Porter and Marjorie Hanauer Porter, Bill was raised in Ohio and Florida. He served with the Army Air Corp in Germany after World War II, then graduated from Purdue University with a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering.  After working in Research and Development for the Chris Craft boat company, Bill founded W.H. Porter in 1964 in the old Heinz building on the north shore of Michigan’s Lake Macatawa to build balsa-wood cores for boats.

That business evolved into PorterCorp and the manufacturing of structural insulated panel systems (SIPS), hog confinement buildings, and park shelters and gazebos. In the late 1960s, he moved his company to its current location in Holland, Michigan so he could continue to expand and explore new ideas and processes. His company now employs about 100 people. He holds dozens of patents on products and product components and his Poligon structures are installed in parks and public spaces across the country. He continued designing until the day before he died. Continue reading

5 Feb

Message from the SIPA President

Posted by sipablog in Hello from the SIPA President. Tagged: , , , , .

It is hard to believe that a new year is almost over.  It appears that 2009 will be remembered as the year of global economic recession.  However, the long term picture is improving.  Housing prices appear to be stabilizing, with recent reports from the S&P Case-Shiller Index and Federal Finance Housing Agency showing modest increases in national home prices during September and October.  More importantly, the world is moving to increase the energy efficiency of homes and commercial buildings through ground breaking legislation that will pave the way for SIPs in the future.

On a national level, the House passed the American Clean Energy and Security act (ACES) in June of 2009 that requires a 30 percent increase in residential energy efficiency just one year after enactment, with scheduled increases leading up to 75 percent more efficiency than the 2006 International Energy Conservation Code by 2030.  Commercial buildings would follow a similar progressive tightening of energy codes under the pending bill. Continue reading

1 Feb

EH Systems helps TV family’s ‘makeover’

Posted by sipablog in SIPs in the Press. Tagged: , , , , .

By Bryan Shettig
The Herald-Zeitung

Published January 31, 2010

A family of 15 people near Houston can sleep easier after workers from a New Braunfels company helped build a home for them after Hurricane Ike took theirs away.

Workers from EH Systems, which builds structural insulated panels, or SIPs, were contracted through television giant ABC earlier this month for an episode of its show, “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.”

The episode, a two-hour long special, showcases the largest house it has built since the show started. The 5,700 square foot home was built for Larry and Melissa Beach and their 13 children, left homeless after Hurricane Ike made landfall in September 2008, said Bill Stipanovich, chief operating officer of EH Systems. The family has four children of its own and nine adopted children, who are disabled. Continue reading

28 Jan

Extreme Home Makeover Update

Posted by sipablog in SIPs in the Press. Tagged: , , , .

The Washington DC Extreme Home Makeover episode featuring the construction of a SIP home for a very deserving family will air on Sunday, February 14, 2010 at 8:00 PM.

28 Jan

DIY Network Deconstruction Show Featuring Structural Insulated Panels

Posted by sipablog in SIPs in the Press. Tagged: , , , .

DIY Deconstruction episode featuring Premier Building Systems in Fife, Washington is now available for viewing. Please click on the link below to watch this episode about Structural Insulated Panels. The episode will  re-broadcast on Thursday, February 11th and Friday, February 12th.

http://www.diynetwork.com/videos/framing/47476.html

26 Jan

Structural Insulated Panels (SIP) Lead the Way in Green Building Products

Posted by sipablog in SIPs in the Press. Tagged: , , , .

January 25, 2010

Post image for Structural Insulated Panels (SIP) Lead the Way in Green Building Products

Green Building is growing in popularity, but the industry still faces plenty of challenges… mainly finding cost-effective solutions to energy efficiency and our dwindling natural resources.  But new innovations in technology are creating options, and here’s one to watch: structural insulated panels.

Hailed as one of the leading 21st century green building materials, SIPs conserve more energy and save more money than their wooden frame counterparts.  According to a study conducted by Reed Construction Data, SIP-built homes repeatedly show annual energy savings of 50%-60% when combined with other energy-saving techniques.

These savings, plus their ease of use in new construction, are making SIPs a solid solution for eco-friendly home and building design. SIPs airtight nature results in less energy to heat the home or building in winter and cool it in summer.  Patrick Sughrue of Structures NW, LLC, Vancouver, WA, says his panels are “58% more energy efficient than stud and batt construction, and six times more airtight.” Continue reading

15 Jan

2010 NAHB International Builders Show

Posted by sipablog in SIPA News Stories. Tagged: , , , .

The time has finally arrived and we are getting ready to head to Las Vegas, Nevada for the 2010 International Builders Show. SIPA will be exhibiting this year along with Premier Building Systems, Metal Roofing Alliance, FischerSIPS, and Porter SIPs. Our exhibits are located in the Central Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center. The booth numbers are as follows:

SIPA: C4482

Premier Building Systems: C4377

Metal Roofing Alliance: C4379

FischerSIPS: C4381

PorterSIPs: C4480

Please stop by our exhibits and learn about Structural Insulated Panels and the future of the green building industry. See you there!

« Older Entries