Insulation, The Forgotten Technology For Energy Conservation In the Commercial, Industrial & Mechanical Segments of the Construction Industry

摘要

Insulation is the "Rodney Dangerfield" of the construction industry-it gets very little respect and is taken for granted. When designed, applied, and maintained properly, insulation is a powerful technology-one that provides long-lasting benefits. However, insulation is often overlooked or relegated to the bottom of the list and ignored. One reason may be that insulation systems have no moving parts, no bells and whistles, no computer chips, or fancy gauges-and it certainly is not sexy. This technology is not some mysterious myth. The principles of insulation are simple and not necessarily revolutionary—possibly another reason why it is often overlooked. However, the bottom line is that insulation can often provide an annual return on investment greater than 100 percent. With energy efficiency and conservation, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, sustainable design, safety, condensation control, mold prevention, the indoor working environment, and a host of other initiatives being priorities in today's world, maybe it's time to begin thinking about this under-utilized, under-valued, and under-appreciated technology differently.