Finish Werks Tackles Energy Savings on a Budget

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Yesterday I had a modular home builder email and ask what I
thought was the most important part of energy conservation he could offer at a
reasonable cost to her customers. Some of them were balking at the cost and she
is trying to give her customers the best ROI.

So as I always do when it comes to all things “Energy” in
modular construction, I asked Harris Woodward, Finish Werks Builders, in
Savage, MD to help. He is known for his innovative contributions to modular
housing when it comes to helping people save money on their energy costs. Here
is his answer to the question and I think if every builder and new home buyer
would adopt these simple procedures, it would reinforce why modular is the best
way to build a new home.

To:Modcoach

The single most cost effective way to save on energy bills
using modular constructions economies of scale (e.g. purchasing power), in most
climate zones (particularly colder, like ours and North) is to increase
insulation. Go from a 2×6 at 16OC to 2×6 at 24OC, make sure the FG batt
insulation is high density R-21, then order a minimum ¾” foam board insulation
on the outside over the OSB sheathing to reduce thermal bridging. When you spec
DOW foam board insulation, you can eliminate the house wrap when the foam
boards are properly taped at the joints. See?… it doesn’t have to cost a lot
to improve insulation.

Next is air sealing – the factory needs to caulk
and preferably liberally spray foam all exterior wall penetrations (top &
bottom plates, j-boxes, wiring plumbing). Again: modular economies should
keep costs down here.

Next is fenestration. Spend a few dollars, particularly
on South-facing windows and patio doors, to upgrade to lower SHGC (solar heat
gain coefficient) ratings. Plygem has a great upgraded glazing that costs not
much more than their standard MW Classic Low-E window. This reduces cooling
loads in summer. To reduce heating and cooling loads, make sure the glazing has
a low U-factor (this is the insulation value of the window/door).

Finally is HVAC. Once the envelope is improved using
the techniques above, spend more here. However, you may not have to spend more
since by increase the total R-value of the envelope, you will have reduced the
required HVAC sizing. We’ve been able to cut the total tonnage of our heat
pumps by HALF once we got done improving the building enclosure.

THE NUMBER ONE REASON THE BUILDER’S CUSTOMERS ARE BALKING:
UNINFORMED

Call it tough love, but, the reality they don’t want to hear
is that the builder is too ignorant to explain the benefits:

Savings
on energy bills – $5,000 in upgraded building performance is just
$25.33/mo on a 30yr mortgage at 4.5%. I GUARANTEE YOU THE CLIENT WILL SAVE
MORE THAN $25.33/MO ON HER ENERGY BILLS. This is what we call a “no
brainer”.
Better
comfort and indoor air quality (no cold spots, no moisture or mold
problems)
Better
quality and durability

How could be any simpler to sell insulation?

I firmly believe that the modular industry could establish
itself as the better method of building if it only adopted these simple truths.

W. Harris Woodward

Finish Werks

Member, Master CGP

Here are some links to his innovative insulation techniques: