BIG ENERGY SAVINGS WITH PLASTIC

It may come as a surprise, but the building and construction industry is the world’s third-largest consumer of plastic resins. Only recently have those in the industry come to see plastics as a durable, energy-efficient building material with the potential to reshape the essential vision of the construction industry at-large. The versatile nature of plastics enables the material to be incorporated into buildings long after they’ve been initially constructed, making it a useful tool for operations and maintenance applications as well, so how can building owners and managers incorporate plastic-based materials into existing facilities to make them more energy efficient?

Insulation

One of the easiest ways to improve energy efficiency is through insulation. Expanding plastic spray foam insulation, installed through a tube into access holes opened in an existing interior or exterior wall, improves the thermal performance of a wall while also sealing air infiltration gaps and leaks. Air leaks can waste a lot of energy by re-heating and re-cooling. Air-sealing technology that uses expanding plastic foam can fill these air gaps and leaks along irregular surfaces and near window penetrations. Rigid plastic foam insulation board can also be bonded vertically against inside basement walls to reduce the transfer of cooler ground temperatures, adding year-round efficiency and comfort while increasing a building’s usable space.

HVAC

Another area where plastics can be extremely beneficial is surrounding heating and cooling systems. According to experts, up to 40 percent of your heating or cooling energy can be lost through leaky HVAC duct systems. Plastic mastics and sealing tapes reduce the leakage and help improve the efficiency of the systems, reducing energy usage and overall cost. Additionally, another energy-saving idea is to lay plastic polyethylene extruded (PEX) radiant heat tubing in serpentine fashion between first-floor joists can transform the first-floor material into a radiant heated mass that convects warm air throughout a building.

Windows

Windows and doors can play a huge part in energy loss or retention in structures, making them an ideal area to focus on energy savings. Commercial buildings are beginning to use plastic film glazing materials applied over window glass surfaces. The film reflects rather than absorbing heat-carrying sunlight and decreases building solar heat gain, keeping cooling costs to a minimum. Replacing less efficient single-pane glass windows with high thermal performing vinyl-clad or plastic window frame material can also reduce heat and cold transfer in the window opening, making the occupied space easier to heat and cool.

Roofing

Use of a similar reflective vinyl or thermoplastic olefin (TPO) polymer as a roofing membrane on the exterior roof can reduce solar heat gain. When combined with a layer of the plastic foam insulation, it reduces heat and cold penetration, making the combination especially effective in buildings in warmer climates.

In addition, one of the biggest house destroyers is water, so incorporating building materials made with durable plastics that are impervious to water can help limit the damage. And house wrap and caulks and sealants help reduce the potential for damage caused by water leaks that can lead to rotted wood. So plastics contribute to increased durability of the house as a whole and can reduce the need for additional maintenance over time.