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PATH Announces First Top 10 Remodeling Technologies
Innovations improve energy and resource efficiency in existing housing
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing (PATH) today unveiled its first Top 10 Technologies list exclusively for remodeling.
In PATH's Top 10 Remodeling Technologies for 2007, there's something to improve almost every area of the home: the building envelope, lighting, HVAC, plumbing, controls and floors. Although some technologies are relatively new, most have been around for a while, but for various reasons haven't been widely adopted. The Top 10 is designed to help push them along with much-needed exposure.
"Remodelers comprise a unique part of the housing industry and face the distinctive challenges that come with existing housing," said Assistant Secretary Darlene F. Williams of HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research. "PATH has scanned the industry for underutilized technologies that can dramatically improve the resource efficiency and energy efficiency of our existing housing. This Top 10 list offers remodelers a low-risk way to make today's housing perform better tomorrow."
The technologies include:
- Air sealing with spray foam insulation
- Smart ventilation/ventilation control systems
- HVAC sizing
- High efficiency toilets
- Compact fluorescent lighting
- High performance windows/storm windows
- Wireless lighting, thermostats and other controls
- Solar hot water
- Recycled/renewable flooring options
- Tubular skylights
With its Top 10 series, PATH spotlights for the housing industry and consumers innovations that are within easy grasp. However, in past Top 10s remodelers and homeowners had to decipher which ones applied best to existing construction.
The third PATH Top 10 list, the Remodeling Top 10 follows a list unveiled in January for the entire housing industry. That list included mold-resistant gypsum, solar water heating, horizontal axis washer/dryers, induction cooktops, permeable pavers and more. The first PATH Top 10 was released in 2004.
PATH is a public-private initiative dedicated to accelerating the development and use of technologies that radically improve the quality, durability, energy efficiency, environmental performance, and affordability of America's housing. Administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), PATH offers a wealth of information and other tools for builders, developers, housing providers, and homeowners primarily through the PATH Web site, www.pathnet.org.
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