The Green Insulation That’s Saving the Planet and Wallets

By Cayden Wemple. 

Check out the green solution to insulation that’s got the industry buzzing. 

If you’re looking for a green way to save big money on insulation prices, then polyiso might be the right choice for you! On a recent episode of Roofing Road Trips, host Heidi J. Ellsworth sat down with the president of the Polyisocyanurate Insulation Manufacturers Association (PIMA), Justin Koscher. Justin has been with PIMA for six years and before that he worked at the American Chemistry Council with their Polyurethanes group.  

Justin came on the podcast to advocate for polyiso, which is an energy saving insulator. In a 2021 study, PIMA looked at four different prototype buildings that are used by energy modelers: commercial buildings, schools, standalone retail and office buildings.  

“We asked ourselves, if we assume that these buildings are under insulated, what is the benefit of taking that insulation up to today's energy code levels? And what we found didn't necessarily surprise us, it sort of confirmed the value proposition for polyiso and energy-efficient roof replacements,” said Justin.  

You might be surprised to learn that schools havethe most potential for energy savings, according to Justin. “Schools really outperform other commercial buildings in terms of potential energy savings, largely due to the way that they're constructed — one or two stories, very large roofs to floor space,” says Justin. “We looked at a primary school in New York and upgrading that roof to today's energy codes would save that school about 10% annually in energy. Those are dollars going back into school districts for much more valuable initiatives than paying high energy bills.” 

Those savings aren’t only great for the wallet, but they’re great for the environment too, which is at the forefront of people’s minds these days. Justin says, “We know people aren't only paying attention to the balance sheet, but also to their environmental footprint.” 

Learn more about PIMA in their RoofersCoffeeShop® Directory or visit polyiso.org. 

Listen to the full podcast to learn more about PIMA and their sustainable insulation solutions. 

About Cayden  

Cayden is a reporter for RoofersCoffeeShop, MetalCoffeeShop and AskARoofer. When he isn’t writing about roofs, he’s usually playing guitar or writing songs for his musical endeavors.