Energy - Efficient Biodegradable Foams for Structural Insulated Panels

Residential and commercial buildings are responsible for roughly 40 percent of U.S. energy consumption [1]. Within these types of buildings, space heating and cooling was responsible for roughly 36% of the energy consumption in 2005 [2]. Moreover, attributes of the building envelope have a large impact on this energy consumption, namely how much energy is needed to maintain comfortable room temperatures. For instance, heat loss can occur through walls, windows, ceilings, floors, doors, and infiltration (e.g. leaks out of cracks and holes). One area in particular where advancements have been made for homes is in the use of structural insulated panels (SIPs).