Continuous Exterior Insulation Project

Overview
Center for Energy and Environment (CEE) is evaluating the energy and cost savings potential of continuous exterior insulation (CEI) applied to single-family homes in Minnesota. CEI involves the addition of insulation to the outside of the building, below the siding, to improve the energy efficiency of the home. This project is funded by the Conservation Applied Research and Development (CARD) program, administered by the Minnesota Department of Commerce, Division of Energy Resources. This research involves the installation of CEI during a planned re-siding project to evaluate the ease of install and long-term impacts on home energy needs.

The project team is currently recruiting for demonstration sites. If you are interested in participating, please complete the following survey.

Why participate?
CEI installed during re-siding can be a cost-effective way to improve comfort, reduce energy consumption, and lower utility bills while improving your home’s impact on the environment. Selected participants will receive the addition of CEI to their existing re-siding project, with costs attributed to the installation of CEI being covered up to $15,000 per home. The addition of CEI is expected to reduce future utility bills by $100 – $300 per year.

Who is eligible?
Single-family homeowners in Minnesota who are currently planning on re-siding in 2026 are encouraged to apply. Homes located in the Twin Cities metro area are preferred. CEE is working with a contractor partner who will either perform the entire re-siding project and CEI install or collaborate with participants’ previously selected contractors to solely install CEI. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.  

What does participation mean?
Interested homeowners must complete the following eligibility survey and share information about their home, current siding type, and future re-siding project to be considered for the program. Selected participants will work with CEE’s contractor partner to install CEI as part of their existing re-siding project with up to $15,000 in CEI costs offset by CEE. CEE will schedule at least 4 visits to characterize indoor comfort and the performance of the building envelope and HVAC system before and after the installation of CEI. The study includes a monitoring period in which the project team will remotely measure the energy usage and performance of the HVAC system once CEI is installed. This involves installing data collection equipment for the monitoring period. Monitoring is expected to end in Fall 2027 or sooner, after which the monitoring equipment will be removed. Participants will be asked to share historic utility cost data for their home and provide feedback on their comfort and general experience post-retrofit.

How to apply
To determine your eligibility for the project, proceed by completing the following survey. Completion of this form is completely voluntary. Applicants reserve the right to change their mind about participating until their eligibility for this study is confirmed and a separate participant agreement is signed. This survey should take approximately 5-15 minutes to complete by computer or mobile device. The survey will request an exterior image of the home to view existing siding. Uploading an image is optional but strongly recommended. Multiple images are encouraged as needed to capture any notable features as they relate to re-siding. All other pages have quick short answer or multiple-choice questions about you and your home. Please provide as much detail as possible about existing and planned siding types.

Questions or concerns about the survey can be directed to Ranal Tudawe at: rtudawe@mncee.org or 612-244-2426.

The information collected in this survey will be used by CEE for research purposes only. Select the yellow next button at the bottom of this page to begin the survey to apply.