October 9, 2012

Updates on Certification, Outreach and Technical Services

CERTIFICATION:
SPFA met with the EPA and other federal agencies last month to present upon its development and deployment plans for the new Sprayfoam Professional Certification Program. This program is planned to be an ANSI/ISO 17024 standards compliant Quality Assurance Program (QAP) that will offer model curriculum for training programs, testing of knowledge, skills and abilities of SPF professionals, and field examinations. It will be the best measure of professionalism in the industry and serve the SPF professional by producing an avenue of distinction for those who complete the program. SPFA requested feedback on the program from EPA to be certain it is the most comprehensive and complete program available. The program will be rolled-out at the 2013 SPFA Annual Convention and Expo in Jacksonville, Fla., February 12-13.

OUTREACH:
SPFA presented upon two landmark topics at the 2012 Center for the Polyurethanes Industry (CPI) Annual Conference in Atlanta, Ga., recently. In one session, SPFA members and staff provided an overview of the forthcoming Sprayfoam Professional Certification Program to a standing-room-only crowd of interested polyurethane manufacturers. Later that same day, SPFA’s Rick Duncan presented upon completion and final report of the new SPF Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The LCA represents over two years of work among members, staff and LCA professional practitioners and represents a huge milestone in the economic and environmental validation of SPF.

SPFA’s Rick Duncan provided a presentation on behalf of the CPI Sprayfoam Coalition at the 2012 Insulation Contractors Association of America (ICAA) Annual Conference last week. Possibly the best-attended session, Dr. Duncan informed the attendees on specifics regarding retrofits for attics and crawlspaces. Over 20 minutes of technical and insightful questions followed the session.

TECHNICAL SERVICES:
SPFA recently announced completion of a two-year project resulting in publication of an industry-first complete, ISO-compliant Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for SPF in North America. LCAs have a variety of purposes and are in demand for certain sustainable building program credits around the nation. But more importantly this represents a method to validate the overwhelmingly positive impact on energy, and other environmental factors that SPF insulation and roofing systems provide. It enables an “apples to apples” opportunity of comparison for other insulation technologies willing to put in the time, cost and effort to similarly assess their products under the new North American Product Category Rules for Insulation. “In its typical nature, SPF has again found itself in the leadership position of defining the benchmark for excellence,” said Dr. Richard Duncan, Director of Technical Services for SPFA. “The body of work proudly produced by the industry in this regard is exceptional and puts SPF ahead of competing technologies yet again.”