A Simple Method to Estimate Energy Savings for Structural Insulated Panels Applied to Single Family Homes Available to Purchase

Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) have the potential to provide well insulated and air tight homes and thus better energy performance than the conventional wood-frame construction. Currently a SIP home is slightly more expensive to build than a conventional wood-frame home. This paper summarizes the results of a detailed study to compare the energy consumption of both SIP and wood-frame houses in representative climate zones across the United States. A simplified method to estimate the potential energy savings associated with SIP homes relative to an equivalent wood-frame home is developed and presented. As an application of the simplified method, a life cycle cost analysis was conducted to assess the cost effectiveness of building SIP homes throughout the US.