Case Study: Building Green with Insulated Siding

While most of the benefits of specifying insulated vinyl siding are well known: beauty, durability, affordability, there has been less information available about its actual environmental performance, especially in a side-by-side comparison with James Hardie fiber cement. The study conducted by Newport Ventures on two high performance homes that participated in the New York State Energy and Research Development Authority’s (NYSERDA) High Performance Residential Development Challenge changes this situation and validates the “green credentials” of insulated vinyl siding.

The two homes in Burnt Hills, NY and Saratoga Springs, NY demonstrate that specification of insulated vinyl siding in lieu of James Hardie fiber cement siding is projected to result in energy conservation, lower CO₂ emissions, and energy cost savings. As the Saratoga Springs survey indicates, this environmental performance does not come at the sacrifice of curb appeal. Because of these reasons, it is not surprising that use of insulated vinyl siding helps contribute to achieving points in leading green building certification programs like NAHB’s national green building standard and LEED^®.

Click here to view the entire study.