Foamex expanded polystyrene is helping companies achieve maximum star rating for their buildings. A high performance construction material, Foamex expanded polystyrene can contribute significantly to a six-star energy rating for a building project. A six-star rating in construction indicates the high thermal performance of the building.
High star ratings indicating highly energy efficient homes also reduce the cost of heating and cooling the home. Architects, builders and specifiers, therefore, choose construction materials that will ensure the building will meet the crucial six-star rating.
The evolution of energy efficient homes can be observed from the progressively increasing energy ratings being achieved by architects and builders for their buildings. For instance, houses built in 1990 averaged about one star on the NatHERS scale, the house ratings system, which uses computer simulations to determine the potential thermal comfort of Australian homes on a scale of zero to 10 stars.
Prior to the introduction of national energy efficiency regulations for houses in 2003, less than one per cent of Australian houses achieved six stars. With 6-Star equivalent becoming the minimum requirement for construction across Australia from November 2011, many well designed houses are now being built that are rated at seven stars or more.
Foamex expanded polystyrene was recently used to help a project achieve 8+ stars. Positive Footprints, designers and builders of environmentally sustainable homes, used Foamex's Styroboard Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) to complete a construction project that achieved 8+ star rating.
Image: Architects, builders and specifiers are carefully selecting construction materials that will ensure the building will meet the crucial six-star rating
