Impact of CFC (chlorofluorocarbon) restrictions of US building foundation thermal performance
A significant increase in the use of foundation insulation had been expected as a result of the near completion of ASHRAE 90.2P, New Building Energy Efficiency Standard, and the publication of several Department of Energy foundation design tools. Potential restrictions on the future availability and/or price of chlorofluorocarbon (CFC)-12 will have a potentially substantial impact on the goal of improving the efficiency of building foundations. One of the better ways to insulate foundations is on the exterior in contact with the earth, and one of the better insulating products for this application is extruded polystyrene (XEPS). According to some personnel in the Environmental Protection Agency, it is likely that because XEPS is currently blown with CFC-12 and since CFCs could be a major contributor to anticipated future ozone depletion, some restrictions are imminent. The work statement for this analysis called for an initial impact analysis on energy conservation goals and a foundation research plan to mitigate the impacts of restricting the use of CFCs in foundation insulation systems. This report addresses quantitatively the energy-saving impacts at the state level of CFC restrictions on foundation insulation and concludes that the total impact could be anywhere from near zero to 0.8 quad in the year 2010, with the most likely impact being about 0.13 quad/year. The risk of high impacts can be reduced by an accelerated research effort focused on developing and demonstrating insulated foundation systems that have overall performance equivalent or superior to that of exterior XEPS insulated basement walls, crawl space walls and slab-on-grade systems. 27 refs., 14 figs., 19 tabs.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-84OR21400
- OSTI ID:
- 5425243
- Report Number(s):
- ORNL/CON-245; ON: DE88006143
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products. Original copy available until stock is exhausted
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
CFC (chlorofluorocarbon) restrictions: Energy impacts and technological alternatives
Foundation futures: Energy saving opportunities
Related Subjects
BUILDINGS
THERMAL INSULATION
ENERGY CONSERVATION
PERFORMANCE
POLYSTYRENE
MATERIALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC POLYMERS
PETROCHEMICALS
PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
PLASTICS
POLYMERS
POLYOLEFINS
POLYVINYLS
SYNTHETIC MATERIALS
320107* - Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization- Building Systems- (1987-)