Sector: Insulation

Market Overview: This section focuses on insulation products, which is the material that most professionals rely on to help reduce energy costs and make a building more energy efficient.

New building construction and energy efficiency retrofits of existing buildings are on the rise. The 2012 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) created tougher building codes that are requiring a building to have a tighter envelope and ducts and more insulation. Because of this, insulation demand is expected to rise in the U.S. 7.0 percent annually to $10.4 billion in 2019.

This is good news for an industry that has a large manufacturing presence in the United States and the ability to serve both domestic and export markets with a variety of insulation product choices. The U.S. export market for insulation grew over 7 percent between 2010 and 2013 and is projected at $1.3 billion in 2017 with Canada and Mexico receiving the vast majority of those exports.

Fiberglass insulation carried almost half of the market demand in 2014 and is a common product choice among professional and DIY installers. Foamed plastic insulation came in second in market share to fiberglass and is expected to grow into a $4.6 billion market by 2019. Despite some concerns over health issues, foamed plastic is gaining popularity in residential settings given its high R-value and the need for compliance with the 2012 conservation codes.

The supply chain, which is pretty minimal for insulation products, is also for the most part domestically sourced.