With recent changes in energy codes, continuous insulation and continuous air barriers are now required in almost all climate zones. Air barriers are starting to be adopted on a state by state basis. The U.S. Department of Energy recently mandated all states must adopt a commercial building energy code that meets or exceeds ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2010 by Oct. 18, 2013, which will result in significant changes to building envelope design.
This article presents the results of an energy modeling study demonstrating that significant energy savings can be achieved on both new and retrofit construction by incorporating an EIFS with continuous insulation and air barrier protection.