structural-insulated-panels / Green Building & Sustainable Home Renovation Information & Advice

Straw bale homes, are they any good? Traditional straw bale home construction can be a low-tech and affordable route to a very ecologically responsible home. There are, however, some legitimate drawbacks and challenges that can cause many people to dismiss it completely as a building technique. It seems all of these is...

See more videos about passive solar high performance home building here  Once a decision has been made to choose between a crawlspace or a slab foundation, you need to know how to finish the edge off durably. Typically the exterior edge of a slab on grade is made of EPS foam and can be parged. Having used rigid Rockwo...

The commercial construction sector has warmly embraced cross-laminated timber (CLT) in recent years, taking advantage of it as the base structure, but also as a design feature. The assembly of smaller wood parts to create massive assemblies offers a new type of structure (for floors, walls and roofs), with significant ...

VIG vs. triple pane: why vacuum glazing is the future of energy efficiency Vacuum insulated glass (VIG) is another a significant leap in window technology, offering a way to achieve extreme thermal resistance without the bulk of traditional multi-pane units. By removing the air between two sheets of glass to create a t...

When considering solar cells as thin as laminate and completely transparent, the possibilities seem endless. Imagine every glass or laminant surface in our built environment and all of our devices, large and small, harvesting solar energy. In a world of passive, self-sustaining mini-power stations, would the need for f...

The continuing drop in cost for home solar power generation has led to a dramatic increase in the rate of installations, for both residential and commercial use. Increasing the yield through reflection could make that an even more affordable energy supply option. Most of the advances in solar power production come from...

Standard solar panels are rigid, relatively heavy and fragile. A new product on the market called Microsystems Enabled Photovoltaics (MEPV) from mPower Technology may change that. The cells in these pliable sheets are made from high-efficiency silicon, and if one cell is damaged or loses power, the rest will continue t...

Recycling solar panels - a growing need The need to reduce carbon emissions to slow runaway climate change generates demand for renewable energy, and rooftop solar power generation is the most accessible option available to the average homeowner. In 2022, North America was predicted to rise to more than 400 GW by 2030 ...

What exactly is a monolithic concrete slab? Imagine a monolithic slab as a large, continuous structurally solid 'plate' of concrete that makes up your home's foundation. The whole thing is poured at one time, combining both the finished concrete floor and its thickened edge footing. This single pour method is a real g...

Solar panels: a homeowner's & pro's guide As we move through 2026, installing residential solar panels has shifted from a niche interest to a mainstream home improvement strategy for achieving energy independence and long-term savings. With evolving government incentives - especially in Canada and the US, and incre...

Acoustic panels in homes: do they help make homes less noisy?  Unwanted noise transmission and echoes in homes can be frustrating. There are easy ways to sound proof new homes under construction, but that does little for older homes. While many people turn to acoustic panels to improve the acoustic wellness in homes, t...