Newspaper article - Rexburg Standard Journal

Energy-efficient in Idaho

NATE SUNDERLAND nsunderland@uvsj.com
After a low-cost winter season, energy costs are on the rise again, and for homeowners this means ever-increasing sacrifices just to heat or cool your home. Cutting energy costs is important. We see it everyday in news, in legislation and every time an electric or gas bill arrives in the mail. But one answer to the energy cost crunch is home renovation. And lucky for Idaho, a company has just moved into the area which, using patented building materials, guarantees a 30- to 40-percent reduction in both home heating and cooling expenses. Ray-Core Inc., a 20-year old building supply company has moved its manufacturing and sales center to Idaho Falls, and for the first time it is building and renovating energy efficient, green homes in Idaho. “We have a very specialized product,” said Bryan Brusman, vice president of Ray-Core, and former Brigham Young University-Idaho graduate. “Our product has a unique foil radiance that has a huge benefit for customers. Our roof and wall systems can cut energy costs by between 30 and 40 percent.” Ray-Core’s main product is its “structurally insulated panels” which includes headers, wall and roof pieces that are sold to building contractors. These basic building pieces are designed with a patented rigid polyurethane insulation molded around wooden studs and covered by a foil vapor barrier. The panels come pre-fabricated from the factory as a single structural piece for fast and efficient installation. The energy saving secret of Ray-Core panels is their high R-value and joint tightness. Rvalue is a measure of a materials thermal resistance or insulation effectiveness. An average wooden wall offers an R-Value generally below 20 — Ray-Core provides insulation with an R-value of over 40. Company officials and local contractors also said that prices are comparable to regular building materials. Wes Haws, a local contractor for All West Investments (All West Construction), is building Rexburg’s first Ray-Core energy efficient home. “I’d always wanted to build a home at a low price but make it green and energy efficient,” said Haws. “This home costs almost exactly same as a comparable house of regular materials, but it is much more energy efficient.” Ray-Core produces enough paneling at its Idaho Falls factory to construct one house per day. They are hoping to expand and build more homes this summer as the demand for energy efficient homes in Idaho and Utah increases. Ray-Core’s corporate office is located in Mill Hall, Penn. To find out more information contact Ray-Core Inc, at (208) 552-4880 or visit www.raycore.com.