Compared to the building practices of the past, modern construction leans heavily on insulated building materials for better energy efficiency and sustainability. Epsilyte is proud to be able to offer products uniquely suited to modern construction. We believe it is entirely possible to design and build the most modern structures ever conceived while prioritizing sustainability and energy efficiency.
Architects and builders with the same mindset have access to a wide variety of insulated building materials, including EPS (expanded polystyrene). There are others:
- Fiberglass – Available as bats, rolls, rigid boards, and fill.
- Cellulose – Normally utilized as loose-fill insulation.
- Mineral Wools – These include fire resistant rock and slag wool.
- Natural Fibers – These include straw, hemp, cotton, and sheep’s wool.
Our priority is high quality EPS. It is one of the most preferred insulated building materials due to its high R-value, moisture resistance, thermal performance, and ease-of-use.
Improving Energy Efficiency
Improving energy efficiency by using insulated building materials boils down to two key properties: thermal performance and creating a thermal envelope. Here are the details:
1. Thermal Performance
Thermal performance is loosely defined as a material’s ability to prevent heat transfer. In a construction scenario, heat transfer works in both directions. Consider a commercial office building. When exterior temperatures are colder, you don’t want interior heat being transferred to the outside. Under warmer temperatures, you don’t want exterior heat to be transferred indoors.
The better an insulating material’s thermal properties: the less heat transfer takes place. Mitigating heat transfer increases energy efficiency by maintaining interior temperatures without requiring heating and cooling systems to work harder.
2. The Thermal Envelope
Think of the thermal envelope as the entire heat transfer barrier around a structure. Using insulated building materials throughout – in walls, floors, roofs, and below-grade structures – it is possible to create an air-tight envelope that further mitigates energy loss. Less work is required to keep structures warm or cool.
The Issue of Sustainability
Energy efficiency is obviously a top priority when choosing insulated building materials. But sustainability is intrinsically intertwined as well. Again, there are multiple things to keep in mind:
1. Energy Consumption
One of the biggest challenges to ongoing sustainability is energy consumption. The more energy we consume, the more difficult it is to reach sustainability goals. The opposite is also true. Reducing energy consumption makes pursuing sustainability easier. Insulated building materials can play a significant role here.
Reducing energy consumption for more efficient construction also reduces the need to tap into natural resources to produce more energy. Resources are depleted less rapidly, leaving more for future generations.
2. Manufacturing Constraints
Insulated billing materials need to be manufactured, but manufacturing can be sustainable. Sustainable manufacturing is designed to minimize energy consumption, eliminate waste, and avoid environmental contamination as much as possible. For the record, EPS’s manufacturing requirements are quite modest. It is a very sustainable product to manufacture.
3. Construction Waste
The actual construction process also impacts sustainability in terms of waste. With EPS and other insulated building materials, waste can be kept to a minimum. EPS can be manufactured as easy-to-handle panels or blocks. It is easy enough to work with that builders can avoid excess waste with minimal effort. The less waste produced, the less we need to deal with landfills and incinerators. Sustainability is improved as a result.
Insulated building materials are changing the way we look at construction. Not only do they increase energy efficiency, but they also enhance our collective efforts to be more sustainable. Here at Epsilyte, we believe that this is the way it should be. That’s why we prioritize EPS insulated building materials.