Color Your Home Green This Earth Day
April 21 2008 - 4:26PM
PR Newswire (US)
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. DATASOURCE: Owens Corning CONTACT: Ried
Artis, +1-419-248-5577, or Lisa Heathman, +1-503-295-1922, both for
Owens Corning Web site: http://www.owenscorning.com/
http://www.insulateyouratticnow.com/
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