For most of its existence, Hunter Panels has focused on roofing products made from polyisocyanurate, or polyiso, a thermoset plastic used as rigid thermal insulation. Now, as the US Department of Energy’s Building Energy Code Program increases R-values on exterior walls, the company has introduced a new line of wall insulation, Hunter Xci.
The United States has more than 5 million commercial buildings and industrial facilities that spend $202.3 billion on energy each year. Thirty percent of that energy is used inefficiently or unnecessarily according to Energy Star, which means close to $20 billion could be saved annually and greenhouse gases would be significantly reduced if the energy efficiency of commercial and industrial buildings improved by just 10 percent. So the federal government stepped in. “The government wanted to push people toward building more energy-efficient buildings, and in doing so, began requiring continuous insulation in walls,” says Grant Stahl, the national sales manager for Hunter Panels.
Enter polyiso, also referred to as PIR or ISO, which is Energy Star approved and contributes to LEED certification. “Eliminating the thermal leakage that may occur due to conductivity of wood or steel framing is not a concept that’s new, but it makes sense,” Stahl says. “And polyisocyanurate offers the highest R-value per inch and best fire performance of any foam plastic material, both at an economical cost per R.”
