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.
State and local jurisdictions would be allowed to adopt their own energy codes, providing they meet or exceed the level of efficiency dictated in the ACES schedule—and some already have. In Washington State, the state senate passed the Energy First bill in May, requiring a 70 percent reduction in energy use for new buildings by 2030. Oregon passed similar legislation to increase nonresidential building efficiency by 30 percent and residential building efficiency by 15 percent by 2012. These changes are hopefully just the tip of the iceberg. It is clear that America is moving towards an energy-efficient future.
SIPA is poised to capitalize on this trend with our “2030 Now” campaign. Through a comprehensive marketing plan, SIPA hopes to brand SIPs as the only building technology that can meet these aggressive energy efficiency goals today. Conventional cavity wall insulation will not suffice when builders need to cut energy use by 70 percent. What architects, builders, and homeowners need to know is that SIPs are the building material of the future.
SIPs are being recognized for their energy efficiency and ease of construction benefits well beyond the United States and Canada. SIPA has seen an unprecedented interest from startup manufacturers all over the world looking for information on how to build safe, cost effective and energy-efficient housing with SIPs. In September, SIPA’s Executive Director Bill Wachtler, Board member Al Cobb, and I traveled to Birmingham, England to meet with the United Kingdom SIPs Association, a new organization that is working to expand the presence of SIPs in the UK. Members of the UK SIPs Association will be attending the upcoming SIPA Annual Meeting & Conference, which will be an international event. Interested companies from Mexico, Russia, China, Australia and beyond will be attending the conference in April.
It’s exciting to see that these companies and associations are looking to SIPA as a source of information. Our association is standing out as the primary resource for SIP knowledge and the center of the SIP movement. We owe this success to our members, many of whom have volunteered countless hours working in SIPA’s committees. This work benefits all members of the SIP industry. I would like to extend a personal thank you to all SIPA members and staff who are putting in time and effort to grow this industry.
Terry Dieken
Extreme Panel Technologies, Inc.
SIPA President
