For additional information, read the following NAIMA items: Harvard Demonstrates Public Health Benefits of Increased Insulation The Public Health Benefits of Insulation Retrofits in Existing Homes in the United States

Public Health Benefits From Upgrading Insulation

Harvard University’s School of Public Health reports that reductions in energy usage and emissions will result in:

• Fewer deaths due to pollution
• Reduced instances of respiratory and cardiovascular ailments

Every home that is brought up to the current energy code standard means:

• Less pollution and healthier lives
• A payback of about six years on fiber glass insulation

The cost to upgrade insulation is minimal and the benefits are significant.

Existing Homes Study

• Study done by Harvard on existing homes found that if the 45 million under-insulated homes (below 2000 IECC* levels) in the U.S. were insulated properly.
• More than 800 trillion BTUs could be saved each year.
• More than 240 premature deaths associated with pollution could be prevented.
• 6,500 fewer asthma attacks would occur.
• The number of restricted activity days would be significantly reduced each year for people with respiratory ailments like allergies and asthma.

New Homes Study

A study done by Harvard on new homes found that insulating the 1.2 million new homes that are built each year in the US to even the modest 2000 IECC levels would, over 10 years:

• Save 300 billion BTUs.
• Save 60 lives.
• Protect people from 2,000 more asthma attacks.

* The 2000 IECC is a public/private sector consensus standard which outlines a minimum energy code for new homes. The U.s. Department of Energy (DOE) and others recommend even higher R-values for insulation.