The heating and cooling of homes accounts for 50% of all utility
costs (gas, oil, hydro-electric) and about 15% of all energy
used in North America. With rising energy costs and rolling
blackouts across the country, energy efficiency is a critical
factor in buying or building a new home. The energy demand
difference between a poorly constructed and a well constructed,
well insulated home can amount to several thousand dollars a
year. Wood is 400-times less heat conductive than steel and 8.5
times less conductive than concrete, so homes built with wood
framing take less energy to heat and cool. Steel's Heat
Conductivity Like the fins on a radiator, sheet metal studs
transfer large amounts of heat to the outside air during winter.
They also transfer cold inside during summer. The movement of
cold into a house through the framing is called thermal bridging
. Thermal bridging increases energy consumption. To prevent
this, steel framing requires extra insulation on the outside
sheathing which can add significantly