New Energy Efficiency Requirements!

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), pursuant to provisions in Title III of the Energy Conservation and Production Act (ECPA), has mandated that as of October 18, 2013, all states update their commercial building code to meet or exceed ASHRAE Standard 90.1 — 2010, Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings. The new standard, among other things, mandates continuous insulation (CI) (in United States Climate Zones 3-8) on all new construction, and new construction in existing buildings, by this date. Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems (EIFS) offer continuous insulation by design as part of the system, allowing architects the design flexibility and aesthetics they require, while helping to meet the new standard.

According to the DOE, an estimated 40 percent of all energy in a building is for heating and cooling, while 39 percent of energy usage is due to account for air leakage through the walls. The addition of continuous insulation to the building's envelope will help drastically reduce air leakage increasing energy efficiency, as it reduces thermal bridging that affects other building's envelopes.

GTO Stucco & Designs follows these guide lines and meets the Federal Requirements on every install.

Additional information can be found in the Federal Register/Vol. 76, No. 202/Wednesday, October 19, 2011/Notices.