If we can make it there, we'll make it anywhere. And results from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority's (NYSERDA) High Performance Residential Development Challenge show that insulated vinyl siding is indeed making a positive impact. In fact, studies conducted in 2008 and 2009 provide documentation that insulated vinyl siding outperforms other exterior cladding on important environmental measures.

The NYSERDA Challenge involved two notable case studies of homes in New York — one in Burnt Hills and the other in Saratoga Springs. The studies were conducted by Newport Ventures, an independent research and consulting firm with expertise in the housing industry.

In Burnt Hills, researchers performed a side-by-side field test comparing insulated vinyl siding against James Hardie fiber cement. The test was conducted during the winter on a two-story colonial built by Stewart Construction.

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The study used thermal imaging, which clearly showed there was less heat loss with insulated vinyl siding than with James Hardie fiber cement. Furthermore, the researchers used REM/Rate, the most widely used whole building energy simulation tool, to evaluate relative performance. The analysis found that, on average, specification of insulated vinyl siding over James Hardie fiber cement would provide expected annual savings of $56 in natural gas and electric utility costs, 448 pounds of CO₂ and 3.2 million Btu.

"With so many people trying to define green building, analyses like those conducted by NYSERDA and Newport Ventures are helpful, giving builders and architects credible information to reference," said Jery Y. Huntley, president of the Vinyl Siding Institute, Inc. "These studies provide valuable documentation that insulated vinyl siding outperforms silica-based fiber cement siding in energy and environmental performance."

In Saratoga Springs, insulated vinyl siding was installed on the first home in New York's Capital Region to achieve LEED^® for Homes' Gold Rating. Insulated vinyl siding can help achieve up to 3 points under the current LEED for Homes point system and up to 205 points under the ANSI-approved ICC 700-2008 National Green Building Standard when combined with other environmentally preferable products.

An additional survey at the Saratoga Springs house revealed that 68 percent of visitors gave insulated vinyl siding the highest rank of "very attractive" while 95 percent ranked the visual appeal of vinyl siding as "better than average" or above.

Together, the NYSERDA Challenge and Newport research data show that insulated vinyl siding outperforms James Hardie fiber cement, contributing to savings in energy costs, CO₂ emissions and energy consumption — all without sacrificing curb appeal. Isn't that a great combination for success in your neck of the woods, too?