Industry News & Announcements

>>IAPMO’s Uniform Evaluation Service Issues ER-285 to Quadrant Urethane Technologies
IAPMO’s Uniform Evaluation Service (UES) announced that Texas-based Quadrant Urethane Technologies was granted UES Evaluation Report ER-285 to reference the 2012, 2009 and 2006 editions of the International Building Code® (IBC), the International Residential Code® (IRC) and the International Energy Conservation Code® (IECC). ER-285 states that the Quadrant Urethane Technologies products as shown in the report satisfy applicable code requirements. This allows for the specification of QuadFoam® NatureSeal 500 by architects, contractors, specifiers, and designers, and approval of installations by code officials. It also provides code officials with a concise summary of the products’ attributes and documentation of code compliance. Click here for more information.

>>SPFA Sponsors U.S. DoE Student Competition -- Winners Announced
Source: energy.gov
As part of its Building America Program, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) invited college students across the United States to participate in the DOE Challenge Home Student Design Competition and become part of a leadership movement to achieve truly sustainable homes. There were 28 teams from across North America and more than 300 students participating.

Spray Polyurethane Foam Alliance (SPFA) was a sponsor of this event.

From April 26-28 at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colo., the teams presented their designs and competition awards were announced in these categories: Grand Winners, Best Design Solution Integration, Best Technical Integration, Best Presentation and Best Production Home Integration.

The Grand Winners were:

>Montage Builders Northern Forest: State University of New York – Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse University, and Onondaga Community College - Best Single-Family Detached Design (project profile | presentation)

>Ryerson University’s Urban Harvest Team - Best Single-Family Attached Design (project profile | presentation)

For a complete list of winners, click here.

>>Free Monthly Webinars with U.S. Dept. of Energy Building America Program
Source: energy.gov
U.S. Department of Energy Building America program to present monthly webinars that will offer information about the latest advances in residential building technologies and practices. The next webinar is entitled, HIGH PERFORMANCE BUILDING ENCLOSURES: PART I, EXISTING HOMES, and will be held May 21 at 3 p.m. EDT. The webinar will focus on specific Building America projects that have implemented technical solutions to retrofit building enclosures to improve energy and durability.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information on how to join the webinar.

>>SPFA PCP Training Puts Honeywell Solstice® LBA to the Test
At SPFA’s SprayFoam 2014, contractors gathered to complete the SPFA Professional Certification Program. For the first time, roof field exams were offered as part of the program. Contractors sprayed a West Development Group roof system made with Honeywell’s new low global warming potential Solstice® Liquid Blowing Agent. View the video (http://youtu.be/85Nbs614vuM) for the full story.

Contractors were impressed by the foam’s ease of spraying, good rise and smooth, glass-like finish. Solstice LBA is a nonflammable, VOC-exempt (U.S. EPA) foam blowing agent with an ultra-low global warming potential (GWP) of 1 (compared to a GWP of greater than 800 for HFC alternatives). Honeywell is gearing up to meet demand with a new Solstice LBA production facility. The new plant is nearing completion and large-scale commercial quantities will be available in Q2 2014. (See related articles in the upcoming SPRAYFOAM Professional Summer 2014 issue. Also, the cover photo is of the plant during its construction phase, in April 2014.)

For details on Solstice LBA, call 800-631-8138 or visit www.honeywell-solsticelba.com.

>>BPI Announces Manufacturer Product Listing Program for the Home Performance Industry

Source: bpi.org

The Building Performance Institute, Inc. (BPI) announced the launch of the BPI Product Listing Program, a system that will evaluate and list the home performance tools, products and materials that meet product specification industry standards. Manufacturers whose product has met the relevant standard will be listed on BPI's website and authorized to use BPI's Product Listing Mark on their product and its collateral marketing materials. In addition to publishing products on www.bpi.org, BPI will promote listed products to contractors and consumers through a Google Adwords marketing campaign that includes search engine optimization and keyword search marketing.

>>ACC Announces 2014 Responsible Care® Energy Efficiency Award Winners

Source: americanchemistry.com

At the 2014 Responsible Care Conference and Expo, the American Chemistry Council (ACC) honored 16 of its member companies for implementing energy-efficiency improvements in 2013. ACC presented a total of 50 awards to these companies, 12 of which were deemed programs of "Exceptional Merit." The Responsible Care Energy Efficiency Awards program is among ACC’s many ongoing initiatives to improve energy efficiency. Member companies are required to consider operational energy efficiency as well as waste minimization, reuse and recycling when developing their environmental, health, safety and security plans. See details here.

>>Bayer AG Rumored to Be Making Headway on Selling MaterialScience

Source: gupta-verlag.com

Reports in the financial press suggest that Bayer AG is rumored to be exploring the sale of its $10 billion plastics unit to Evonik Industries AG in order to focus on growing its health business. For several years, Bayer has made little secret of its intention to move out of its more traditional chemicals and plastics business, following the successful spin-off of its rubber chemicals business as Lanxess. Evonik Industries AG, based in nearby Essen, could benefit from synergies related to its existing businesses in the production of polycarbonates, speciality diisocyanates, and additives for polyurethane foam production. See details here.