The Department of Energy has the Energy Star and ZERH programs which give you a great established way to build energy-efficient homes. The ZERH program is for a Net Zero Ready Home. Just add solar panels at some future date and go Net Zero. The site survey and math have already been done.

So, where does the EcoSmart™ Stud (ESS) wall system work into these two programs? The Thermal Envelope, specifically the exterior wall.  Both programs reference the 2021/2024 Energy Code for how to do this and there are slight differences between the two programs around U-factor for windows and other insulation but for the exterior wall it’s the same requirement for climate zones 4-8. For climate zones 1-3, you are off the hook for now since you can still just put fiberglass in the wall vs. using continuous insulation (CI).

The exterior wall must use 1 of 3 CI wall systems listed in a 2021/2024 Energy Code table or be under a 0.045 U-Factor listed in another table. That’s where the ESS comes in, and from the last post we did, the 2×6 and 2×8 ESS wall systems accomplish that task; they come in under the 0.045 U-Factor.

So, what’s the big deal then? Well it’s COST! The ESS wall systems accomplish the better insulation at far less cost than the CI wall systems, which then (wait for it!) make the rebates go farther and pay for more parts of the program, lowering the overall cost. Plus, the ESS wall system builds a better, stronger exterior wall at no extra cost and is better for the environment! Huge bonus points!

Since I stressed the lower COST in big, bold letters, how much is the difference? I’ve been told to keep these posts short, so you’ll need to wait for the next one.  But I can give you a hint: it’s BIG!

Cheers!