At the Insulation Institute, we aim to deliver the most useful educational content on energy efficiency and best builder practices for our readers. Here are the topics that proved to be the most highly ranked among our loyal readers this year. If you missed any of these, let’s hope the slower pace as we wind down 2020 will offer you a chance to...

A new report from E4The Future says energy efficiency (EE) – the largest U.S. energy sector — can repower America's economy as we work to overcome the pandemic's economic effects. The annual report highlights the significant job losses due to COVID-19. Overall, employment is down nearly 14 percent in 2020 versus 2019, a loss of 321,900 jobs.

A newly released study of the insulation industry's economic contributions to the U.S. economy in 2019 details more than 564,000 jobs generated and $36 billion in payrolls that supported families and communities around the country. Those jobs in the manufacturing, distribution, and installation of insulation will be a critical component of the...

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has released a long-awaited study detailing archaic building codes' impact on communities. The report concludes that 65 percent of counties and municipalities in the United States have not adopted modern building codes. These communities incur an additional $1.6 billion a year in property damage due...

In any roof system with an attic, ventilation is crucial as it allows airflow to come through the attic and exit out the roof vents, which manage hot air and moisture. Installing baffles between the roof's rafters and trusses will stop the insulation from blocking the airflow through the attic space. Baffles should be installed in the attic...

In last week's blog post, we reported that architects are seeing changes in home design due to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Home Design Trends Survey, there is a greater interest in indoor air quality (IAQ) among custom builders and renovators. That finding piqued our interest in whether...

A plethora of new reports indicate that coronavirus is shaping home design trends in the U.S. and globally. Among them, the American Institute of Architects Home Design Trends Survey shows that more outdoor features and flexible spaces are highly desirable. The survey also shows products that improve indoor air quality, thermal moisture control,...

Noise levels are one of the top concerns for home shoppers today, according to Realtor.com. While insulation is one of the best ways to reduce unwanted noise in new homes, building codes mostly require that exterior walls be insulated, and it’s not customary for the interior walls of homes to be insulated. Yet, there are compelling advantages for...

The infectious disease and HVAC engineering communities have been grappling with the complexities of COVID-19 transmission for the past nine months. Increased HVAC fresh air has the potential to dilute and remove the aerosol droplet particles of COVID-19 that many experts believe is one of the main sources of transmission. Now the building science...

Personal finance website WalletHub just published a new report ranking the 48 contiguous states on home energy efficiency. This report comes during a year when American households have seen energy use soar during the pandemic, with many individuals staying home to avoid infection. WalletHub found that on average, U.S households historically spent...