Fiberglass Metal Building Insulation: It's All About The Payback
By Danny Wirth, Building Outlet Corporation
Ask yourself these questions: If the cost of re-insulating your metal building were free, would you do it? What if it paid you money back?
When you install an effective fiberglass insulation system in your new or existing metal building, you may be doing just that. With a minimal initial expenditure – a large portion of which may be tax deductible1 – you can create immediate and long-term reductions to energy costs, essentially putting more money back into your pocket.
Thermal Energy Loss
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With poor insulation or no insulation, building interiors are more difficult to cool in the summer and heat in the winter. With proper insulation, desired interior temperatures can be maintained in a much more energy efficient manner.
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As it stands today, thermal energy loss is one of the largest drains on—and expenses for—a building owner. By taking measures to increase the energy efficiency of a building through installing appropriate insulation products, owners and contractors can immediately realize the long-term financial and environmental paybacks of such actions.
A poorly insulated building can amount to thousands of dollars a year in wasted energy expenses. But because quality insulation acts as a barrier to slow the movement of air between the exterior and interior of a building, it allows energy consumption to become more efficient, resulting in lower energy outlays. Insulation is all about the cost of ownership, comfort of employees and payback of the initial investment through the savings of energy costs. The initial cost of installing a high-quality insulation system will be absorbed by the immediate reduction in energy bills and pay for itself over time—sometimes in as little as two years—making re-insulating the easiest business decision one could make.
The “Green” of Fiberglass Insulation
In a time when energy prices are at historical highs and other energy-efficient, environmentally conscious “green” products are priced at a premium, fiberglass insulation prices have remained consistent and affordable. It also pays for itself in a very short amount of time, and is simple to implement and easy to maintain.
And while many people may not think of fiberglass insulation as a green product, it has always been. Composed of natural ingredients such as sand and recycled glass products, fiberglass insulation has been an effective insulator since the 1930s, drastically reducing overall energy consumption, cutting demand on power plants and the air pollutants they produce as by-products.2
Modern advances in the science of fiberglass insulation since the 1930s, in addition to available upgrades to increase durability and strength, provide time-tested yet technologically advanced products for maximum energy efficiency. The available combinations of customizable products are immense, able to suit any building owner’s distinct needs.
Determining the Right Product
Fiberglass metal building insulation is engineered to meet the unique thermal and acoustical requirements of today’s metal building designers, the ease-of-application needs of builders, plus the cost-control needs of building owners. By determining the right product at the right thickness, or R-Value, builders can create customized insulation that supplies the aforementioned energy savings, in addition to increasing the comfort and safety of a structure through humidity and condensation control and lighting efficiency.
For example, when equipped with a laminated vinyl/polypropylene vapor retardant known as facing, quality fiberglass insulation prevents condensation and mold, allowing for better climate control and a safer interior environment. Facing materials also provide bright, reflective wall and ceiling treatments to increase lighting efficiency and safety, reducing energy bills and costs for additional lighting fixtures.
Additionally, reflective fiberglass insulation is designed and manufactured to meet stringent requirements for strength, durability and permeability, and is UL-rated, reducing potential fire damage. High-quality insulation can also contribute to pest control and will produce a better audio environment through sound absorption.
It’s your decision. You can either continue to pay exponentially higher energy costs, drastically alter the comfort level inside your building, or have your building evaluated for ways to increase energy efficiency. I would hope you would choose the latter and take the steps necessary to benefit you and your immediate environment. By insulating your new or existing metal building with fiberglass insulation you can reduce both your carbon footprint and your energy costs.
For more information, visit www.steelbuildinginsulation.com/Energy/Energy.html or www.irs.gov/irb/2006-26_IRB/ar11.html.
1 Tax deduction depends upon scope of project, products used and energy savings achieved post-installation
2 American Lung Association, www.lungusa.org
Danny Wirth is president of Building Outlet Corporation and oversees the company's MetalBuildingInsulation.com division. He has been in the business of supplying the metal building industry with insulation for over three decades and can be reached by e-mailing info@metalbuildinginsulation.com, or by calling (800) 486-8415. Interested persons are also encouraged to visit www.steelbuildinginsulation.com.