An objective of the Millennium Star home is to incorporate as many different types of building materials into the construction so that Minnesota Power can demonstrate and monitor the energy efficiency of the various products. Advanced infared thermography along with data loggers and sensors will be used to determine the performance at the various thermal components.

The building shell of the Millennium Star home utilizes three different methods of wall construction:

• Structural insulated panels
• Staggered stud construction
• Advanced framing using various types of insulation

Structural Insulated Panels (SIP)

They're made by joining high performance rigid foam insulation to oriented strand board. The result is a building product that is predictable, resource efficient and cost effective. SIPs are used as floors, walls and roofs on all types of buildings.< /p>

Several of the walls in the Millennium Star home are constructed with 4 x 8-foot foam core panels that are 6-inches thick. The panels lock together giving the walls an R-Value of 23 compared to and R-Value of 8 in more traditional wall construction. SIP buildings are more energy efficient, stronger, more quiet and draft f ree than older technology systems, like stud framing with common fiberglass insulation. And, 10-inch foam panels were also used for the highest part of the roof. It's called a "hot roof" as it's unventilated.

Window openings can easily be cut out of the panels and the wiring is fed through conduits that have been pre-drilled through the form insulation.

Staggered Stud Construction

The walls on the west end for the Millennium Star home are made with double 2 x 4's that become and 8-inch wall. Staggered stud construction eliminates the thermal bridging of wall studs and allows space for a high density blown cellulose insulation giving the walls and R-Value of 30. Wall studs are placed at 24" on-center with a single top plate. The roof trusses are lined up directly over the wall studs.

Advanced Framing

This type of wall construction will use less lumber as the framing is a 2 x 6 inch boards with studs at 24-inches on center with a single top plate. The roof trusses are lined up directly over the wall stud. Normal studs are at 16-inches on center.

Minnesota Power will be monitoring the performance of six different types of wall insulation in the Millennium Star home.

• Dense blown cellulose
• Blown-in fiberglass blankets
• Spray foam
• Standard fiberglass batts
• High density fiberglass batts
• Structural insulated panels

Learn more about structural insulated panels at: