During the CT General Law Committee Hearing in February on the HB 5908 SPF Certification bill, SPFA offered testimony in support of the committee, not necessarily in support or objection to the bill. Obvious concern is that directions of the bill and subsequent regulations could be influenced by many parties and could result in a situation very unfavorable to the industry in terms of substantial and potentially unnecessary restrictions placed upon the market. SPFA believes that the dialogue, as initiated by the state (not us), is constructive and should the bill move forward we want to be in a position to be a resource and assist/inform the Legislature on SPF and the industry certification program. There is the possibility of similar intent among other state legislatures and, all things considered, the timing of completion of the SPFA certification program could not come at a more appropriate time. The program intentionally pursued a voluntary approach rather than a mandated/licensed route, but as the issue potentially progresses having an industry consensus-created, ANSI/ISO-standardized testing program as a potential reference is very beneficial rather than the alternative of every state installing different requirements and programs from scratch.
We are awaiting a follow up opportunity with the bill sponsor and will advise of next steps or developments as they occur.
To see video of SPFA's Dr. Duncan testifying at the hearing on February 21, 2013 related to HB5908, a bill considering SPF certification, click here.
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Winners of this year's Innovation Future Zone (IFZ) competition were selected based on 1,400 votes and feedback received during the Ecobuild show in London, March 5-7. Some of the winners include:
Insul8ed Thermilate Matrix CoatingHOME
Insul8ed Thermilate Matrix coating contains materials which together prevent heat transfer by controlling radiation wavelengths and slowing the transfer of heat.
Integrated LCC/LCA Tools
These tools plug into the new computer-based IMPACT life cycle assessment (LCA) and life cycle costing (LCC) methodology, which enables users to quantify the embodied environmental and cost implications on a whole-building basis.
Invisible Solar Thermal Façade (ISTF)
ISTF is a façade system based on available materials and techniques, which harvests low temperature heat and solar thermal energy, supported by an integrated decision toolbox.
MDF Wood Fibre Recovery
MDF is not currently recycled. The MDF Recovery process breaks apart the glue bonds that hold together the wood fibres, allowing them to be reclaimed for inclusion into new MDF or other applications such as thermal insulation products or horticultural growing media.
Nanofloor Insulation
Nanofloor Insulation is an off-the-shelf vacuum insulation panel floor insulation solution. The five standard-sized panels can be used to upgrade the insulation value of any existing room configuration.
The Modern Built Environment Knowledge Transfer Network (MBE KTN) joined forces with Marks & Spencer and the Facility Architects to deliver the Innovation Zone at Ecobuild 2013. Now in its fourth year the Innovation Zone provides an interactive forum to demonstrate new or near to market technologies.
Other international Ecobuild events this year include Ecobuild China, April 1-3; Ecobuild India, April 16-17; and Ecobuild Southeast Asia, September 17-19.
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Dutch media reports on polyurethane sprayfoam insulation address the health effects associated with sprayfoam. The biggest areas of concern are the applicators and the timeframe for entering a house after sprayfoam has been applied.
Dutch television channels reported:
>> Consumers will be required to not enter the home during and shortly after application.
>> The home will be required to be ventilated before consumers are permitted to re-enter the home.
>> Inspections for “toxic fumes” will be required following application.
>> European certificates for polyurethane spray foam application companies will be required.
The program emphasized that the problem behind human health concerns is likely the improper mixing of chemicals, and the consumer being permitted to re-enter the home too soon after the application process.
ISOPA was shown to be proactive in addressing concerns with concrete measures. See related article here.
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SPFA’s 2013 Annual Convention and Expo was another record breaker. The show beat its last East Coast attendance record by 144 attendees. The energy and commitment demonstrated at the show were fantastic, and excitement carried back into the industry with almost 400 new SPFA Professional Certification Program tests being taken. The various breakout sessions were well attended and offered very valuable information for the SPF professional. To download your copy of those presentations, please click here.
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 The 2013 RESNET Conference in Orlando, Fla., held Feb. 26-March 1, 2013, combined its sessions and exhibit hall with those of the Air Conditioning Contractors Association (ACCA) and the Indoor Air Quality Association (IAQA) for a great event.
SPFA delivered two exceptional and well-attended sessions focusing upon a detailed explanation and walk-through of the SPFA’s new industry model Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for SPF, demonstrating the quantified benefits of SPF. The second session highlighted the advancement of the SPFA Professional Certification Program (PCP), elaborated upon the tracks and requirements, and generated great interest among the attendees. SPFA also exhibited in the combined exhibit hall and benefited from many discussions with the diverse audience.
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The Spray Foam Coalition (SFC) of the Center for the Polyurethanes Industry (CPI) has established a quarterly statistical data program that provides historical data on spray polyurethane foam (SPF) sales. This program provides relevant, comprehensive and extensive business statistics for the industry.
In this program, participating Systems Houses manufacturing high-pressure SPF provide quarterly statistical data to a third party for compilation. The data provides a historical perspective and tracks the growth of the SPF market since 2008. The statistics include comprehensive information, including pounds of SPF sold per quarter, reported regionally within the United States and Canada.
The data, which is released quarterly and available with an annual subscription, can be used as a tool for analyzing and understanding the business climate. All statistics are electronic and provided in a spreadsheet. All annual report subscriptions are sold on a calendar year basis only, with no prorating.
Contact Chris Braddock for price and ordering information: Chris_Braddock@americanchemistry.com or 202-249-6617
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Registration is now open for the 2013 free ASHRAE Webcast, “Assessing Building Energy Performance — From Principles to Practice.” Register here to benefit from this free webcast.
The webcast will address the importance of building energy performance and its far-reaching implications in both new and existing buildings, as well as the opportunities that assessing building energy performance presents.
The Webcast presenters are:
•Thomas Watson, P.E., Fellow Life Member, ASHRAE president, chief engineer, Daikin McQuay, Staunton, Va.
•Drury Crawley, Ph.D., P.E., Fellow ASHRAE, ASHRAE-Certified Building Energy Modeling Professional, director of building performance, Bentley Systems, Washington, D.C.
•Jim Kelsey, ASHRAE-Certified Building Energy Assessment Professional, principal, kW Engineering, Oakland, Calif.
•Christopher Mathis, president, MC Squared, Asheville, N.C.
The webcast program has been approved for three Learning Units (LUs) by the American Institute of Architects (AIA), as well as three Continuing Education (CE) Hours by the Green Building Certification Institute.
The live program will be archived online until May 3, 2013, for viewers who are unable to participate on April 18. Registration is required to view the archived program.
DVDs of the webcast program are currently available for pre-order at the ASHRAE Bookstore. For more information, call 678-539-1200 or email ashrae-webcast@ashrae.org.
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The updated Foam Kit 15FR Disposable Polyurethane Foam System is a portable, self-contained dispensing system for two component polyurethane spray foam. It provides increased structural strength, as well as fire retardant sound and thermal insulation.
The enhanced Foam Kit 15FR System features a new squeeze-trigger applicator that makes it easier to operate and provides excellent metering from low to high output. To prevent accidental spraying during setup, the new trigger automatically locks into the OFF position when it is removed from the packaging. A new T-strap cradle ensures consistent activation of product for an even layer of foam insulation.
“We’ve taken a convenient, reliable product and made it even better,” says Michael Sites, Touch ‘n Seal Marketing Manager. “The new Foam Kit 15FR is now labeled as a UL Listed, Class I Fire Retardant, and the applicator and packaging have been updated to ensure maximum product usage.”
The updated Touch ‘n Seal Foam Kit 15FR includes new packaging designed to communicate key points about the most efficient, proper usage of the product. On the outside of the new carton, there are set-up instructions for proper operation and a prominently displayed reminder about product usage in cold temperatures. On the inside of the rear access panel, detailed operating instructions and safe usage information have been updated to be consistent with all communications regarding the use and storage of polyurethane spray foam.
Touch ‘n Seal Foam Kit 15FR is being introduced as a rolling change. As inventory of the current packaging runs out, the updated and improved product will begin to ship from Touch ‘n Seal’s U.S. warehouses on April 1, 2013 and Canadian warehouses on May 1, 2013.
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Grassroots Update: How Does It Work?
In the coming weeks, look for updates to the Government Affairs portion of the ASHRAE website. New content will be made available as to enable ASHRAE regions, chapters, sections, and members to become more involved in grassroots government activities – mostly notably, guidance on running a chapter Grassroots Government Activities Committee (GGAC).
Once the GGAC launches in earnest in Society Year 2013-14 (i.e., after the Annual Conference in Denver, June 22-26), more information will be made available, so stay tuned.
Also, should you be interested in being a GGAC leader in your chapter or section, please contact Mark Wills, Manager, State and Local Government Affairs, at mwills@ashrae.org to initiate communication with the Regional Vice Chair for GGAC in your region, a list of whom are provided below.
Richard Vehlow (Region I)
Doug Cochrane (Region II)
Dunstan Macauley (Region III)
Bryan Lampley (Region IV)
Sonya Pouncey (Region V)
Kelly Crow (Region VI)
Chad Moore (Region VII)
Jon Symko (Region VIII)
Brian Lynch (Region IX)
Mark Bender (Region X)
Jeff Hurd (Region XI)
Ricardo Esbri (Region XII)
Yong Kong Ng (Region XIII)
Ahmed Alaa Eldin Mohamed (Region-At-Large)
Congress Passes Bill to Fund Government Through September
Working through about 100 proposed amendments, this week the U.S. Senate, followed by the House, passed a continuing resolution (CR) that funds government programs through September 2013, when the federal fiscal year ends.
The $984 billion bill was passed by wide bipartisan margins (73 to 26 in the Senate, and 318 to 109 in the House), and bakes-in the $85 billion in government-wide spending cuts that went into effect on March 1, as a result of sequestration. The specific impacts of the CR and these spending cuts on individual government activities is still largely unknown, but is an issue ASHRAE is paying close attention to, as they will be felt by places such as the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (administers building energy efficiency programs), and the U.S. Energy Information Administration (administers the Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey).
The CR, which President Obama is expected to sign into law, banishes the threat of an upcoming partial government shutdown that Members of Congress from both parties feared could harm the economy just as it begins to slowly recover. Congress will now turn its attention to developing funding bills for the next fiscal year, which begins in just seven months.
For details, contact Mark Ames, ASHRAE Senior Manager of Federal Government Affairs, at mames@ashrae.org or 202-833-1830.
$270 Billion Needed to Modernize & Maintain Nation’s Schools, Report Finds
Published by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the recently issued 2013 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure gives the nation’s schools a D, pointing out that in 2012 spending on school construction amounted to about $10 billion – far below the $270 billion, which the report says is needed to modernize and maintain them.
While there were some success stories, the report generally found that states and school districts have limited data on their facilities and plans to improve facility operation. To help improve the state of America’s schools the report provides a number of recommendations, including: requiring the use of life-cycle cost analysis to better evaluate the costs of energy efficiency and sustainability projects; implementing comprehensive maintenance programs; and exploring alternative financing options for facility improvements.
For more information, including an interactive guide to the report, click here.
Study Finds Mortgage Default Rates Lower for Energy Efficient Homes
A new study by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Center for Community Capital and the Institute for Market Transformation finds that owners of energy efficient homes are on average 32% less likely to default on their mortgages. The study examined 71,000 single family home loans in 38 states and the District of Columbia. For additional information and to view the study, click here.
ASHRAE's Government Affairs Updates detail information on government affairs-related activities of interest to ASHRAE members and others interested in the built environment. Archives of previous updates are available from the Government Affairs website.
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The Building Codes Assistance Project releases regular updates on building energy codes through its quarterly BCAP Newsletter and weekly Code Alert Bulletin.
BCAP Newsletters are quarterly summaries of what's been happening at the Building Codes Assistance Project and building energy code progress around the nation. To access the full archive, click here.
BCAP Code Alert Bulletins are released weekly by the Building Codes Assistance Project (BCAP) and its website, the Online Code Environment & Advocacy Network (OCEAN). Code Alert Bulletins are designed to share information and support timely participation in state and local activities related to the adoption and implementation of building energy codes. The bulletins highlight immediate opportunities to influence state and local policy outcomes, indicate code status, and recommend contacts for action. If you know of activity that should be on this bulletin or would like to sign up for this bujlletin, contact Matt Kerns at (202) 530-2252 or mkerns@ase.org.
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"Introduction to Air Barriers" provides an overview of the performance requirements of air barrier materials, assemblies, and systems, and includes a discussion on relevant building code requirements. This course AIA and state credits and qualifies for HSW. Please check course specifications for all available credit and details: www.aecdaily.com/sponsor/abaa
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