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ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS | FOUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES
1) Reducing energy use during the
building service life
One third of the energy used in North America is used
to heat, cool and operate the buildings we live and
work in. As most energy is produced from non-renewable
fossil fuels that produce greenhouse gases, reducing
energy use in a building will lower its environmental
impact. This can be accomplished by low energy lighting,
passive ventilation systems, and minimizing a building's
heating and cooling needs. The materials and construction
of a building have a significant impact on the last
category: minimizing heating and cooling needs.
Wood has very good insulating value compared to other
materials. Laboratory tests conducted at the National
Research Council of Canada and the Oak Ridge National
Laboratory show that light metal framing significantly
reduces the effective thermal resistance, or R-value,
of a wall assembly resulting in increased energy use
(Figure 1). Wood-frame construction is easy to insulate
to high standards. In fact, several wood-frame assemblies
have been designed for the Arctic.
Wood-frame construction can easily be adapted to any
energy code requirement. This means wood frame houses,
offices, schools, and other commercial and industrial
buildings can keep energy usage for heating and cooling
low.
For more detailed information on the energy efficiency
advantages of wood, see The Thermal Performance of Light-Frame
Assemblies at: http://www.cwc.ca/publications/tech_bulletins/
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Members of the Western Red Cedar Export Association provide western red cedar to Belgium, France, The Netherlands, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, China, Japan and other markets around the world. |
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