by Rebecca Walker — October 24, 2008—Research from CISCA, the Ceilings and Interior Systems Construction Association, reveals that suspended ceilings can significantly reduce a building’s lifetime operating costs through energy and maintenance savings.
Specifically, “The Life Cycle Study: Suspended Ceilings vs. Open Plenum” shows that even though suspended ceilings cost more initially, they can achieve a life-cycle payback in less than 11 months over open plenum (exposed) designs, depending upon the building type and the region.
Suspended ceilings generate a rapid payback because they significantly lower building operating costs by reducing energy consumption and ongoing maintenance costs. Based on 2006-2007 energy rates used in the study, suspended ceilings can lower energy costs by 9% to 17%. Maintenance costs are estimated to be at least 10% less than open plenum designs.
The CISCA Life Cycle Study is the first initiative spearheaded by CISCA’s Industry Marketing Advisory (IMA), which has the goal of evaluating the performance of suspended ceilings versus open plenums and quantify the cost benefits.
CISCA has published a Summary Report of “The Life Cycle Study: Suspended Ceilings vs. Open Plenum” in electronic PDF format. To request a free copy, contact CISCA at 630-584-1919 or CISCA@cisca.org. For more information, see the Web site.
