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Advertising supplement provided by Owens Corning

The California experience is supported by a study presented at 2003 GREENBUILD, an international conference sponsored by the USGBC in Pittsburgh, Pa. The study compared “alternative” to “standard” building materials in terms of product emissions. Tested products included two alternative and two standard insulation products. The alternative products both claimed to be “formaldehyde-free.”

Emissions testing showed both the formaldehyde free fiberglass and formaldehyde free cellulose products emitted measurable levels of formaldehyde. The conclusion of the CIWMB Emissions Study: “Based on the four thermal insulation samples tested, there appears to be little difference between standard and alternative products.”

For more information on the study go to: http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/GreenBuilding/Specs/Section01350/METStudy.htm

While any individual manufacturer may present only one side of the story when writing about its own products, you can also check industry associations for any research they have done. An example in this category is a report published by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Research Center titled Field Demonstrations of Alternative Wall Insulation Products.

Commissioned by the EPA’s Energy Star® Program, the study performed head-to-head comparisons of several types of residential insulation. The study found that alternative wall insulation products did not significantly reduce air leakage compared to fiberglass batts, and that blown-in fiberglass loosefill insulation, wet-spray cellulose and polyicynene foam-in-place low-density polyurethane cost more and took two-and-a-half times longer to install.

The points to take away from this section are:

• There are a lot of insulation products to choose among for green building projects
• Don’t think you need to pick something new to practice good environmental stewardship, and
• Most readily available standard insulation products can meet even the highest green standards.