Guide to Healthier Energy Efficiency Products: Focus on Insulation
This guide is intended as a starting point for understanding the potential dangers posed by harmful chemicals used in energy efficient housing products. It is designed to assist contractors, building owners and other housing professionals as they make product decisions for affordable multifamily retrofit projects.
Insulation is recognized as the primary energy efficiency product that can be harmful to tenants and installation workers. This has led many housing organizations to focus on ensuring that the materials used in new construction and retrofits do not create health hazards. Our goal is to raise awareness of these issues and help people make better informed product decisions.
To this end, we have collected the latest information on:
Chemicals in insulation products that may be harmful to building occupants;
Insulation products and materials that may contain these chemicals;
Potential health hazards from these chemicals or materials; and
Opportunities to reduce or eliminate exposure to these harmful chemicals.
Our work complements a broader national effort to create a cleaner economy by building and retrofitting multifamily housing that is more energy efficient and uses healthier materials.