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Systems Approach.

Article Excerpt
Systems Approach

By Kenneth W. Betz

Insulation saves energy and money; green follows naturally

Insulation, of course, is green by virtue of its energy-saving attributes, but green is not necessarily the No. 1 or only reason more and more homeowners are installing or upgrading insulation in their homes.

Saving money -- by limiting dollars spent on heating and cooling and through a variety of tax credits and local incentives -- is often the foremost reason homeowners will get in touch with a remodeler about adding insulation.

To be sure, green is the proverbial elephant in the room. The resurrected term has gone mainstream and has engendered responses that range from skepticism -- as evidenced by the term greenwashing -- to hostility from those who think the issue is overrated and insist the concept of global warming is hot air or worse.

Certainly, being green and saving money will resonate with most homeowners, but remodelers would do well to proceed carefully with the green part of their sales pitch until discovering their prospective clients' mind-set on the matter.

Nevertheless, major insulation manufacturers are seriously committed to making sure their products are competitively green. "Products that deliver green benefits have increased in importance since last year; with energy efficiency being the most important benefit," says Teresa Crosato, marketing communications supervisor, Icynene.

Green building is here to stay, she says, quoting Jason Hartke, the U.S. Green Building Council's (USGBC) director of advocacy and public policy, who says green building "is at the nexus of creating jobs, saving energy and saving money."

Sorting out green claims

However, shopping for green products is a growing concern for homeowners who have to search for the...

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