Re-siding Provides Rare Access to Real Comfort and Raw Savings! ... Groundbreaking Study by PNNL

Adding Insulation when Re-Siding (AIRS) energy upgrade may shave up to 20% of the energy costs of an enormous proportion of existing housing stock in the United States.  Homes built before 1992 represent approximately 70% of residential building stock in the country and often have significant air leakage, inadequate insulation, and inefficient windows. Poor performance of these existing homes offers huge potential for improved energy efficiency and reduced carbon emissions. Removing old siding and adding insulative sheathing improves thermal & moisture performance of walls, saves energy, and increases occupant comfort, all at incremental additional cost. PNNL was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to perform up to 50 of these energy upgrades for qualifying homeowners at no cost to them – an average value of about $4,000 per house. Learnings from this project will help researchers, policy makers, builders and contractors, property managers, and homeowners to make evidence-based decisions and reap benefits for years to come. Data from site observation, building monitoring, utility bills, and interviews with homeowners/installers aids in making this solution reliable, by packaging the rationale and benefits, installation tips and tricks, and useful building science knowledge to ensure success and widespread adoption.