Structures To Go, a Structural Insulated Panel (SIP) manufacturer in Port Angeles, WA, provides building kits and completed buildings. These “pop up” building can be erected in less than 30 minutes, deployable with a roll-deck truck to anywhere anytime.
The Port Townsend office of Olympic Energy Systems has occupied this SIP building for over a year. The annual electrical energy usage of this 8 x 12 building can be met with a 1200 Watt grid-tied solar electric system, including heat! The energy efficiency of the 4 inch SIP walls, roof, and floor allows for heating with less than 8 KWh per day in the middle of winter. The life cycle cost of this building, including building construction cost and electricity from solar, is about $50 per month, over the expected 25 year service life of the solar electric system. You can not find rent that cheap. The building should remain another 25 years or more.
There are many other uses for these SIP buildings – Hot Tub House, Motorcycle Storage Shed, Pump House, Kiosk, Exhibitor Booth, or Garden Shed – most of which can benefit from the energy efficiency aspects, especially if the owner were to condition the space with heating.
Olympic Energy Systems has an interest in these buildings, as they allow for the cost-effective development of Zero Energy Buildings. We are putting three basic principles to work:
Optimized Space (minimal square footage)
Energy Efficient Materials (i.e., use of SIPs)
Solar Energy Systems (appropriately sized)
A typical specification for these SIP buildings includes:
BUILDING SIZE (8 x 12, 16 x 16, 16 x 24, etc.)
They are environmentally friendly to produce, very energy efficient when in service, and can be recycled. This material is also free of formaldehyde off-gassing. They avoid thermal bridging present in standard framing. These buildings have exemplary attributes, making them cost-effective and ecologically-sound: Energy Efficient, Non-Toxic, Locally-Made, Strong, Portable, Versatile.
Olympic Energy Systems
Contact a SIP company near you. The one profiled in this article is apparently no longer in business.
Does anyone have any experience building with Greenix SIPs? I see a few websites selling DIY kits using Greenix SIPS…
https://www.diypods.com/
http://sipsupply.com
http://livablepods.com
I’m wondering if anyone has experience with this type of building.
It appears that the SIP’s are made with EPS foam, which is generally not easily recycled, even though they claim that the components can be recycled.
Good point. Look for companies that have greener materials.