The answer, more often than not, is the building envelope. The shell of a home – its insulation, air barriers, and thermal continuity – is what determines whether conditioned air stays inside or quietly bleeds out through gaps, cracks, and under-insulated attic spaces. FPL’s own energy experts note that tiny gaps around doors and windows can force an AC system to work nonstop, and that air sealing alone can reduce a home’s energy use by up to 30%. When the building envelope is underperforming, no thermostat setting or appliance upgrade can fully compensate. Your home’s AC is then forced to overexert itself to maintain equilibrium, further exhausting the HVAC system.

This is precisely why the Institute for the Building Envelope exists. IBE advocates for high-performance building envelope standards, including proper insulation, continuous air barriers, and thermal bridging solutions, that address energy loss at its source. Spray foam insulation, for example, is the only product on the market that insulates and air seals in a single application, creating a continuous barrier that keeps conditioned air exactly where it belongs: inside. According to the EPA, these types of upgrades can save homeowners up to 15% on their heating and cooling bills annually. Not to mention–especially for Floridians–some applications also have structural benefits that can help homes weather hurricanes.

Yet individual upgrades and utility rebates can only go so far. The most durable solution is one built into the codes and standards that govern how homes are constructed in the first place. Building energy codes, like those developed under the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), set the baseline for insulation levels, air barrier requirements, and thermal performance across new construction. When those standards are strong and consistently enforced, high-performance building envelopes stop being an upgrade and start being the norm. Florida, like many Sun Belt states, has an opportunity to get ahead of the curve by ensuring its codes reflect the energy demands its climate places on homes every single summer.

FPL’s rebate guidance is a step in the right direction, and homeowners should absolutely take advantage of it. But the real fix is building, or even upgrading, homes with a high-performance envelope from the start. IBE is committed to ensuring that policymakers, builders, and homeowners have access to the innovative materials and standards needed to make that a reality.

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June 3, 2026

Contact: press@theibe.org

ALBANY, NY – Today, the Institute for the Building Envelope (IBE) applauded the New York State Senate for passing S5940, legislation that would update New York’s building code to permit unvented attics and unvented enclosed rafter assemblies, sealed with air-impermeable insulation, as a pathway to meet the state’s building energy and decarbonization goals. The bill, sponsored by Sen. James Skoufis, cleared the Senate Committee on Housing, Construction and Community Development in March before advancing to a full Senate vote.

S5940 would modernize New York’s building and energy codes by recognizing unvented attic and enclosed rafter assemblies insulated with air-impermeable insulation that meet R-30 performance standards as compliant with the state’s Energy Conservation Construction Code. The legislation helps to ensure new homes are not just helping save energy and reducing emissions; but making homes more affordable. 

“The Senate’s passage of S5940 is a major step forward for New York’s building codes and the state’s broader climate goals,” said Stephen Wieroniey, President of the Institute for the Building Envelope. “Allowing unvented attic assemblies insulated with air-impermeable materials gives builders a proven approach to improving energy performance, supporting electrification with heat pumps and lowering energy waste in homes across New York while helping improve housing affordability. We thank Sen. Skoufis and every member of the Senate who voted to advance this commonsense legislation.”

New York’s buildings account for roughly one-third of the state’s greenhouse gas emissions. As the state works to meet the targets established under the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, improving the performance of the building envelope will play a critical role in reducing energy consumption, lowering emissions and ensuring that clean energy technologies operate as efficiently as possible.

The Institute for the Building Envelope strongly encourages the Assembly to pass A7282 before the end of session to ensure builders can take advantage of this new path to affordable energy efficient housing.

“The Institute for the Building Envelope was formed to promote innovative, multifunctional materials that improve energy efficiency, safety and comfort,” Wieroniey added. “S5940 advances those goals while helping New York move toward a more resilient, energy-efficient building stock, while putting affordability at the forefront. We urge the Assembly to take up this legislation swiftly and send it to the Governor’s desk.”

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The connection is more fundamental than it might appear. A leaky building envelope means an HVAC system is perpetually compensating, running longer, working harder, burning more energy to maintain set-points that the structure keeps undermining. Traditional controls have no way to detect this dynamic. They simply run the system until the thermostat is satisfied, however inefficient the path there may be. 

What’s notable about newer smart HVAC platforms is that they can actually infer envelope performance from the relationship between outdoor conditions and how hard the system is working to hold set-point. In other words, AI-equipped buildings are beginning to surface retrofit opportunities that pure HVAC optimization never would, diagnosing the shell as the root cause of the system’s inefficiency, not the system itself.

This matters because the building envelope is where energy is won or lost before a single mechanical system ever kicks on. A well-insulated, properly air-sealed building with high-performance fenestration requires fundamentally less conditioning than one riddled with thermal bridging, air leakage, and drafty windows. The most sophisticated AI controls on the market cannot fully compensate for a compromised envelope. They can only optimize around it. When smart building technology and a high-performance envelope work together, the efficiency gains stack. When they don’t, the algorithm is essentially patching a hole in the hull with better navigation software.

The research on new construction savings underscores this point. Buildings constructed to modern energy codes—with continuous insulation, air barriers detailed to current standards, and multi-pane windows—consistently outperform older stock on operating costs by meaningful margins. The smart building industry is increasingly recognizing that the thermal behavior of the building envelope is one of the most important variables its models need to account for, not just occupancy schedules and weather data. Model predictive control systems that understand how quickly each zone heats and cools, how solar gain tracks through the day, and how outdoor temperature propagates through the structure are, in essence, building a real-time model of envelope performance whether they frame it that way or not.

There’s also an indoor air quality dimension that connects the envelope and smart HVAC in ways the industry is only beginning to grapple with seriously. A tightly sealed, well-insulated building gives a smart ventilation system the ability to control exactly how much fresh air enters and where, which translates directly into the kind of auditable, continuous air quality monitoring that building operators and tenants increasingly demand. Research from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that doubling ventilation rates improved occupant decision-making scores by 101 percent. That kind of outcome requires both a building that can be sealed tightly enough to control ventilation precisely and a smart system capable of managing it dynamically. Neither delivers the full benefit without the other.

As sustainability mandates tighten, from New York City’s Local Law 97 to California’s Title 24 to the EU’s Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, building owners are under growing pressure to demonstrate, not just claim, energy performance. The buildings best positioned to meet those requirements aren’t simply the ones with the most advanced automation platforms. They’re the ones where the envelope and the mechanical systems were designed and operated as an integrated whole, each reinforcing the other’s performance rather than working at cross-purposes. Smart building technology is advancing rapidly, and IBE welcomes the momentum it’s bringing to the energy efficiency conversation. But the envelope remains the foundation, and no amount of algorithmic sophistication changes that.

The post The Building Envelope and the Smart Building Revolution: Why HVAC Intelligence Starts at the Shell appeared first on Institute for the Building Envelope (IBE).

The bulk of those savings come from two sources that sit squarely in the building envelope’s domain: energy efficiency and the absence of immediate repair needs. Older homes leak. Drafty rooms, single-pane windows, and gaps in the thermal shell allow conditioned air to escape continuously, driving up utility bills month after month. 

New construction, built to modern energy codes and equipped with better insulation, air barriers, and multi-pane windows, simply doesn’t have those problems out of the gate. The difference compounds over time, and in climate-intensive regions like New England, where heating dominates the energy bill, the gap is especially pronounced. Massachusetts buyers of new homes save nearly $39,000 in hidden costs over ten years. New Hampshire, Maine, Rhode Island, and Vermont aren’t far behind.

What the Realtor.com data illustrates, even if it doesn’t say so in these terms, is the cost of an underperforming building envelope. Every drafty room is a failure of air sealing. Every sky-high winter heating bill is a symptom of inadequate insulation or thermal bridging. Every single-pane window is a breach in the thermal barrier that separates conditioned interior space from the elements. These are systemic and expensive issues. The report estimates that in 16 of the country’s 300 largest metro areas, the long-term savings from new construction are large enough to offset the higher purchase price entirely within ten years.

The implications extend beyond individual homebuyers. As electricity costs rise nationwide and energy codes continue to tighten, the performance gap between well-built and poorly-built homes will only widen. Homes constructed with continuous insulation, properly detailed air barriers, and high-performance fenestration are positioned to age gracefully in a way that older stock simply cannot match without significant retrofitting. That’s a case for building right the first time, and for ensuring that the building envelope is treated as a system, not an afterthought, in every new construction project.

The research is a useful reminder that the building envelope isn’t just a technical concern for architects and contractors. It’s a financial issue for homeowners, a market signal for builders, and increasingly a policy priority as housing affordability and energy costs dominate the national conversation. The homes saving Americans tens of thousands of dollars right now aren’t doing it by accident. They’re doing it because someone paid attention to the envelope.

The post The Hidden Cost of a Leaky Home: Why the Building Envelope Is the Best Investment in New Construction appeared first on Institute for the Building Envelope (IBE).

The event, organized by the Spray Foam Coalition in partnership with the Spray Polyurethane Foam Alliance (SPFA) and Spray Foam World Wide, centered on promoting unvented attics and raising industry standards across the state. The goal was straightforward: educate policymakers and ensure the industry has a voice in decisions that impact building practices and energy efficiency.

Forty members of the spray foam industry took time away from their busy work schedules to participate, meeting with close to 50 elected officials throughout the day. These conversations focused on how spray foam is used in construction today, the role of unvented attics, and the industry’s contribution to Minnesota’s economy.

There was strong support from lawmakers for HF3129 and SF3730, signaling meaningful progress for the industry’s priorities in Minnesota. These bills represent an important step toward clarifying building practices and supporting the broader adoption of unvented attic systems, which continue to gain traction in modern construction. The level of engagement around both bills highlights the importance of connecting with local legislators to demonstrate how these policies affect real people.

Spray Foam Day reinforced the importance of showing up and engaging directly. With continued participation, the industry is in a solid position to keep building awareness and influence future policy discussions in Minnesota, and across the country. 

The post Success at Minnesota Capital for Spray Foam Day appeared first on Institute for the Building Envelope (IBE).

ST. PAUL, MN – The Spray Foam Coalition, alongside the Spray Polyurethane Foam Alliance, Spray Foam Worldwide and numerous MN based contractors, will spotlight the benefits of spray foam insulation and sealants during Spray Foam Day at the Minnesota Capitol on Thursday, April 23.

The event will convene manufacturers, distributors, contractors, policymakers, and legislative staff for an interactive showcase focused on how spray foam contributes to stronger building-envelope performance, lower energy use, improved resiliency, and long-term homeowner value rather than typical insulation.

Minnesota legislators can enact policies like tax credits and new standards tied to energy efficiency and building-code modernization, including specifically for unvented attic assemblies, to support the durability of homes and reduce utility costs.

“Spray Foam in the Minnesota Capitol Day is an opportunity to connect building science with public policy in a direct and tangible way,” said Stephen Wieroniey, President of the Spray Foam Coalition. “We want lawmakers to see how spray foam supports more affordable and efficient homes, stronger building performance, and practical solutions that benefit Minnesota families, businesses, and workers.”

Media will have the opportunity to gather background on how spray foam insulation fits into current conversations around home efficiency, affordability, and resilience.

Event Details

• What: Spray Foam Day at the Minnesota Capitol
• When: Thursday, April 23, from 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm
• Where: “The Vault” Room B15, Minnesota State Capitol, St. Paul, Minnesota

Visuals:

• Real-world examples to illustrate the material’s performance.

About the Spray Foam Coalition
The coalition champions the use of spray polyurethane foam in the United States by promoting its energy efficiency, performance, economic benefits, and contributions to sustainability. The coalition provides a forum to conduct research, advocate for science-based public policy, and to advance technical knowledge.

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The Space Launch System rocket that powered Artemis II was insulated almost entirely in closed-cell spray polyurethane foam. The rocket’s cryogenic fuel tanks hold liquid hydrogen at -423°F and liquid oxygen at -297°F — temperatures that require airtight thermal protection to keep propellants stable through the extreme heat and pressure during launch. NASA engineers applied spray foam across the entire 212-foot core stage, ranging from half an inch to two inches thick, to ensure airtight temperature insulation.

“Without insulation, heat from launch would affect the stability of the cryogenic propellants and the rocket’s structural integrity would be compromised,” said Michael Alldredge, NASA’s thermal protection systems lead at Marshall Space Flight Center. The foam had to be flexible enough to move with the rocket while rigid enough to withstand aerodynamic pressures as the SLS accelerated from zero to 17,400 miles per hour in just over eight minutes. There is no margin for error in that environment, and only one material up to the job: spray foam.

This stuff sounds ultra tech but the cool part is this is the exact same material used to insulate homes across America. The material NASA chose for one of the most demanding thermal challenges in engineering is, as NASA’s own thermal protection lead Amy Buck puts it, “the same stuff people put in the walls of their homes.” The fundamental performance characteristics remain the same while application and certification differs slightly. Closed-cell spray foam resists heat transfer, blocks air infiltration, and maintains structural integrity under stress, whether the structure is your home or a space ship.

IBE is proud to promote the same innovative material that protects NASA’s astronauts on their historic journey to the Moon. Spray foam insulation performs at the highest level in the most demanding environments on Earth and in space. That record of performance is exactly why it belongs in every high-performance building envelope, and why spray foam is the ideal choice for your home insulation needs. This unique material not only is helping make space history, but can lower energy bills and create a more temperate home — proving that what works in outer space delivers just as powerfully here on Earth.

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Rabbits are especially vulnerable to cold and damp conditions. Because their fur doesn’t dry quickly, exposure to cold air can rapidly drop their body temperature to dangerous levels. A damp, chilly environment can trigger respiratory infections, hypothermia, frostbite, and arthritis, all of which can seriously impair an animal’s ability to eat, drink, and move around. This makes maintaining a stable thermal environment a top priority for rabbit rescues.

The rescue’s leadership worked with the insulation contractor to identify the right solution: closed-cell spray foam. It delivers a high R-value per inch, provides superior air sealing, and is mold resistant, a critical feature in animal shelter environments that tend to run humid. Unlike fibrous insulation products, closed-cell foam can be easily cleaned without absorbing moisture, making it an ideal choice where sanitation is also a priority.

For the first barn, the crew performed a full encapsulation — covering walls, roof, and decking — applying just over 2,000 square feet of Huntsman HEATLOK HFO High Lift closed-cell foam. Using a PMC PH-2 spray machine and a Carlisle ST1 gun, the team applied one and a half inches of foam over an existing layer of foam board in both the walls and ceiling, achieving a robust thermal assembly throughout the structure.

The second barn presented a new challenge. Originally planned for approximately 960 square feet of cellulose insulation, scheduling complications forced a change in course. With colder months already arriving, the rescue’s leadership made the call to switch to spray foam in order to keep the project on timeline. The entire two-barn project was completed in just two half-days.

This project demonstrates that high-performance building envelope solutions aren’t limited to homes and commercial buildings. Anywhere temperature, moisture, and air quality matter, whether for people or animals, the right insulation makes all the difference. Spray foam insulation continues to prove its versatility, its performance, and the craftsmanship of the contractors who install it.

The post Some Bunny Loves You: Spray Foam Keeps Rescued Rabbits Safe and Warm appeared first on Institute for the Building Envelope (IBE).

Unlike traditional insulation materials that mainly slow heat transfer, spray foam expands on application to fill gaps, cracks, and hard-to-reach spaces. This creates a continuous barrier that limits the amount of warm air escaping and cold air entering. In many homes, especially older ones, small openings throughout attics, walls, and crawl spaces allow heated air to leak out, forcing heating systems to run more frequently to maintain temperature.

The article points out that this kind of air leakage is a major contributor to high heating costs. By sealing those problem areas, spray foam helps maintain a more stable indoor environment, reducing the need for constant heating adjustments, and lowering use, thus lowering bills. Homeowners featured in the report noted that after installation, their homes felt more consistent in temperature, particularly during colder months when heat loss is most noticeable.

One homeowner reported that his heating costs were half his mortgage, with electric bills ranging from $300 to $600. Scialdone said:

“With spray foam, it’s air impermeable. It’s completely stopping any type of air transmission whatsoever. So that price that might have been $150 a month for your fuel and electric bill is now going to go down to $75 a month, because we’re completely stopping that air that’s going up and out of your attic.”

Heating and cooling account for a significant portion of household energy use, and inefficiencies in insulation can quickly drive up monthly costs. Spray foam addresses this by combining insulation with air sealing in a single application, helping reduce the workload on heating systems and improving overall efficiency.

Be prepared for the next winter, and stay cool this summer by air sealing your home with spray foam. Experts agree, it’s the most efficient and effective way to retain the air you pay for inside, and save you money at the same time.

The post How Spray Foam Insulation Can Slash Heating Costs In Wintertime appeared first on Institute for the Building Envelope (IBE).

March 18, 2026

Contact: press@theibe.org

ALBANY, NY –Today, the Institute for the Building Envelope (IBE) announced its support for advancing New York Senate Bill S5940 out of the Senate Committee on Housing, Construction and Community Development and to the full Senate for consideration. The legislation, sponsored by Sen. James Skoufis, would update New York’s building code to permit unvented attics and unvented enclosed rafter assemblies, sealed with air-impermeable insulation, as a pathway to meet the state’s building energy and decarbonization goals.

S5940 would modernize New York’s building and energy codes by recognizing unvented attic and enclosed rafter assemblies insulated with air-impermeable insulation that meet R-30 performance standards as compliant with the state’s Energy Conservation Construction Code. The legislation also establishes complementary requirements for airtightness, mechanical ventilation, and placement of HVAC equipment and ductwork within the building’s thermal envelope, ensuring both energy efficiency and healthy indoor air quality.

“Advancing S5940 out of committee is an important step toward aligning New York’s building codes with modern building science and the state’s broader climate goals,” said Stephen Wieroniey, Executive Director of the Institute for the Building Envelope. “Allowing unvented attic assemblies insulated with air-impermeable materials provides builders with a proven approach to improving energy performance, supporting electrification with heat pumps, and lowering energy waste in homes across New York.”

New York’s buildings account for roughly one-third of the state’s greenhouse gas emissions. As the state works to meet the targets established under the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, improving the performance of the building envelope will play a critical role in reducing energy consumption, lowering emissions, and ensuring that clean energy technologies operate as efficiently as possible.

Unvented attic systems insulated with air-impermeable materials help control air leakage, prevent moisture intrusion, and keep HVAC equipment within the conditioned space of the home, reducing energy loss and improving durability and comfort. These design strategies are widely recognized in modern building science as effective tools for delivering high-performance homes.

“The Institute for the Building Envelope was formed to promote innovative, multifunctional materials that improve energy efficiency, safety, and comfort,” Wieroniey added. “S5940 supports those goals while helping New York move toward a more resilient, energy-efficient building stock. We are proud to support this legislation and stand ready to work with policymakers to help advance it.”

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