EIFS Provides Leadership

In August 2007, the United States Green Building Council updated the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) scoring system criteria. The new criterion calls for all LEED projects to achieve a minimum of two “Optimizing Energy Performance” points. The effect of the change is to reduce energy in new LEED buildings by a minimum of 14% above ASHRAE Standard 90.1 and 7% for existing building renovations. The criteria also gives up to 8 points for buildings that can show even better energy performance than the minimum. Conceivable a new building showing a 35% better energy performance can get all 8 points. What makes this significant is that 35% better energy performance may be achieved simply with and EIFS liquid applied air and water-resistive barrier. And any shortcomings to that goal may be made up with the insulation value that can be put over the water-resistive barrier.