Adding insulation will help you stay cool, save energy and be
earth-friendly
TOLEDO, Ohio, April 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- With warm weather just
around the corner, Owens Corning (NYSE: OC), wants to remind homeowners
this Earth Day that insulation isn't just for keeping homes warm in winter.
Insulation also keeps homes cooler in summer by keeping heat outside and
conditioned air inside. According to a recent study by the McKinsey Global
Institute, insulation is the single most cost-effective measure to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions.(1) That gives homeowners another tool to make
their homes more energy efficient and comfortable -- and the planet a
little greener.
"Many people don't realize that the energy used in homes and buildings,
much of it for heating and cooling, is the number one source of greenhouse
gas emissions, using 40 percent of all the energy we produce in the US.
That's more than industry, more than transportation," said Gale Tedhams,
director of sustainability for Owens Corning, makers of PINK fiberglass
insulation. "Conservation should be thought of as your first fuel because
energy you don't have to use is the cheapest energy you can buy."
Finding out if you need more insulation is easy. Look in your attic --
if you can see the wood beams of your attic floor, you likely need more.
The amount of insulation needed varies depending on the region of the
country you live in but, in most cases, the Department of Energy recommends
attics be insulted to R-49. The R-value represents thermal resistance to
heat flow, so the higher the R-value, the greater the insulation
effectiveness. Attaining an R-49 value requires 15.5 inches of fiberglass
blanket insulation or about 18 inches of blown insulation. To determine the
amount of insulation needed to achieve recommended R-values and other
helpful tips, visit http://www.InsulateYourAtticNow.com.
"If we all insulated to R-49, imagine the difference we could make in
reducing greenhouse gas emissions," said Tedhams. "An estimated 60 million
American homes are under-insulated, and their owners face not only higher
energy costs, they're also emitting up to one half-ton more CO2 every
year(2) than their properly-insulated neighbors."
In addition to adding insulation to your attic, the following tips will
help you to reduce your home's energy usage and carbon footprint.
Ventilate Your Attic
A significant part of a home's ability to stay cool happens in the
attic. A properly ventilated attic gives trapped heat an escape route. It
may take a combination of soffit and ridge vents to do the job but the
result will improve overall home energy efficiency -- and will extend the
life of your roof shingles too.
Install a Programmable Thermostat
Why cool the house when nobody's home? A programmable thermostat can
automatically lower or raise a home's air temperature during the day. By
regulating the temperature, homeowners can save up to 10 percent on annual
heating and cooling costs.
Plug the Drafts
Sealing the envelope of the home is the first line of defense against
air infiltration from outdoors, so it's important to caulk and
weather-strip around all seams, cracks and openings. Pay special attention
to windows and electrical outlets. Unwanted air leakage alone can raise
energy bills up to 10 percent.
Take a Home Energy Audit
Understanding how much energy a home uses helps homeowners determine
what changes will save them the most energy and money. For an easy home
energy audit, check out the Home Report Card.(R) The quiz provides tailored
recommendations for improving home energy efficiency and can be found at
http://www.owenscorning.com/homereportcard.
About Owens Corning
Owens Corning (NYSE: OC) is a leading global producer of residential
and commercial building materials, glass fiber reinforcements and
engineered materials for composite systems. A Fortune 500 company for 54
consecutive years, Owens Corning is committed to driving sustainability
through delivering solutions, transforming markets and enhancing lives.
Founded in 1938, Owens Corning is a market-leading innovator of glass fiber
technology with sales of $5 billion in 2007 and 19,000 employees in 26
countries on five continents. Additional information is available at
http://www.owenscorning.com/.
(1) The McKinsey Global Institute
(http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/article_abstract.aspx?ar=1911&L2=3).
(2) Estimated 60 million under-insulated homes in 2006 based upon a 2003
Harvard School of Public Health study, The Public Health Benefits of
Insulation Retrofits in Existing Housing in the United States. CO2
emissions calculation based on an average attic size of 1700 sq. ft.
with existing R-19 insulation, averaged over seven cities in diverse
climate regions.
The color PINK is a registered trademark of Owens Corning.
SOURCE Owens Corning
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Related links:
http://www.owenscorning.com
http://www.InsulateYourAtticNow.com/
CONTACT:
Ried Artis, +1-419-248-5577, or Lisa
Heathman, +1-503-295-1922, both for Owens Corning
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