Energy efficient choices are here

The Earth provides us with a natural, energy-efficient and renewable resource that we use in building our homes and businesses. Man has devised engineering methods to make wood even more efficient, stronger and less wasteful. We call that product engineered wood, and it can be found in I-joists, glued laminated timbers, laminated veneer lumber, plywood and oriented strand board.

Combine the oriented strand board with expanded polystyrene, extruded polystyrene, urethane or polyisocyanurate and you have a structural-insulated panel.

By now, you have heard about the new structural-insulated panel manufacturer operating in Blairs. SIPs of America combines two sheets of oriented strand board with expanded polystyrene to make panels that look very much like a Girl Scout’s s’more — without the chocolate.

These panels come in a full range of sizes and thicknesses from 4 to 6 inches for walls and 8 inches for roof panels. For applications needing additional insulation or strength, the thickness of the panel can be expanded to 10 to 12 inches.

With the spiraling cost of energy, the Dan River Region has been hard hit with increases in utilities and fuel costs. While we have fewer options in dealing with the cost of gasoline and diesel fuel, we do have options in dealing with utility costs.

Choosing to use the newer green and energy-efficient building materials is the first step to gaining control. With new construction, SIPs can be used as either a structural wall or non-structural panels that can be incorporated into the ever-popular steel frame construction. The really exciting use for these panels is in the retrofitting of existing buildings, including large public buildings and historic structures.

A local volunteer citizens group, OPEC Not!, initiated a collaborative project with a local home owner, contractor, SIPs manufacturer and Danville Utilities to do a test case for retrofitting an existing historic home. An 8,000-square-foot, three-story house at 841 Main St. was gutted by a fire in 2006. A resident of the historic district purchased the home to keep it from being demolished.

OPEC Not! approached the owner and contractor in the summer of 2007 about using SIPs panels for the roof replacement and the back addition, and using spray foam for the interior walls. The utility usage will be tracked for one year once the home is occupied and compared to the pre-fire usage. OPEC Not! members toured the home in September 2007 and photographed the before pictures of the structure and were briefed on the progress of reconstruction by the builder. The group will tour the finished structure in fall of 2008. The goal of this project is to show that large historic structures can be retrofitted to make them energy efficient, structurally stronger and provide a more comfortable ambient temperature in a cost-effective manner.

OPEC Not! members dream of the day when our area has a housing development like Kensington Park outside of Dallas, Texas.

Kensington Park was built by Carl Franklin Homes Inc. and was designed as attractive, affordable and energy-efficient housing for entry level workers. The 17 detached single-family homes were priced in the $80,000-$90,000 range and included the use of SIPs, tankless water heaters, Energy Star appliances and geothermal heat pumps. In our region, we have access to the SIPs, tankless water heaters and Energy Star appliances. The geothermal heat pumps can be purchased within the local area.

Why is all of this important to you as a homeowner, businessman or taxpayer? Because the key ingredients to energy efficient homes and businesses are now available in our market.

OPEC Not! has an unbiased study group researching and promoting new products and technologies. We have access to the SIPs panels locally, eliminating expensive shipping costs. The raw materials for those panels are made regionally, with the foam and OSB made within a 75-mile radius of Danville. The increased use and purchase of these materials ensures that there will be an increase in jobs for our region.

In addition, we have abundant land on which to grow the renewable trees and plants used in OSB production and a cadre of workers with the innate skill sets to grow, harvest and work with these new green crops. Finally, researchers at the Advanced & Applied Polymer Processing Institute and Institute for Sustainable & Renewable Resources are available to work with local and regional businesses in developing these resources for use in energy efficient projects. Several projects are currently pending.

Attaining an energy efficient home or business is now within the means of most of our citizens. The role of OPEC Not!, as a volunteer citizens’ study and advocacy group, is to research, promote and champion new building materials, technologies and energy-related companies. Our region is fortunate to see this critical mass forming as interested citizens come together with representatives from Longwood, IALR institutes, Danville Community College, the economic development offices of Danville and Pittsylvania County, Danville Utilities and local industry to promote awareness of energy conservation and change the paradigm of building methods.

• Arnold, McMahon and Slayton are members of OPEC Not! To receive notices regarding OPEC Not! meetings or to request additional information, please contact . To learn more about SIPs, visit http://www.sipa.com or http://www.sipsofamerica.com.