SKOKIE, Ill.— Attendees of this year’s 2008 International Builders’ Show® will be reviewing a variety of products designed to make homes energy efficient. Although energy-saving dishwashers, light bulbs, windows, and more help cut utility costs, but one of the most important factors in a sustainable home is often overlooked—its walls.

A touch-screen computer system created by the Portland Cement Association (PCA) brings this to life. Builders can quickly see how a home’s exterior walls impact its energy-efficiency and comfort. The program, on display at the PCA booth (W5461), takes into account a house’s size and geographic location to determine which construction material provides the lowest annual energy use.

“The materials used to construct the exterior walls of a home have a significant impact on the cost of heating and cooling the home,” says Jim Niehoff, PCA’s residential promotion manager. “For example, the thermal mass of a concrete wall system can reduce temperature swings in the home thereby increasing the residents’ comfort and reducing the need for extended use of the furnace or air conditioner.”

The touch screen system reviews five house designs from 2,000 to 2,400 square feet in eight U.S. cities. It allows users to compare 11 different wall systems such as insulating concrete forms, wood frame with appropriate insulation, concrete masonry, autoclaved aerated concrete, or cast-in-place concrete walls. With this information, the program estimates the annual cost for heating and cooling the home.

Using data from a study sponsored by PCA and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the touch screen system was part of the National Building Museum’s “Green House: New Directions in Sustainable Architecture and Design” exhibition.

About PCA
Based in Skokie, Ill., the Portland Cement Association represents cement companies in the United States and Canada. It conducts market development, engineering, research, education, and public affairs programs.

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