Whitepaper
Embodied and Operational Emissions in Retrofitting Vermont Homes
The carbon impact of weatherization work is affected not only by decreased energy use from insulation and air sealing upgrades, but also by the embodied carbon emissions of the materials used. This paper makes a comparison between one of the most common insulation practices in Vermont’s Home Performance with ENERGY STAR® program (closed cell sprayfoam), and cost competitive “Carbon Smart” insulation practices (dense pack cellulose and polyisocyanurate) to evaluate the carbon impact of weatherization materials choices.