LICENSING | SPFA PCP Discussions in New Mexico -- SPFA and the Sprayfoam Coalition of ACC co-hosted a roundtable meeting in Albuquerque, N.M., on August 26 to discuss the state’s movement toward requiring SPFA PCP certifications as license. Approximately 50 people participated in the discussion in person and online. A public hearing is being held Sept. 14 and can be attended in-person or via phone.

SPFA’s Board of Directors has recognized the substantial growth of the SPF industry in recent years, and the subsequent increasing number of issues the industry is dealing with. Membership growth was identified as a critical priority to success, not just for SPFA to have the resources needed to properly represent the industry, but also to grow the ranks of members to populate committees, and to have important industry information reach a critical mass of dedicated recipients.

Sprayfoam 2016 planning is well underway! Exhibit spaces and sponsorship opportunities are now available. Please click here to see the exhibitor brochure for more information.

>>Industry Mourns Loss of Sig Hall
>>Race to Zero Student Design Competition Registration Is Open
>>Prices Fall for Most Commodity Resins
>>U.S. EPA Awards Almost $800,000 to UC Santa Barbara to Research Effects of Chemical Exposure on Ecosystems
>>SPF Showcased in Top Designs of Competition for Energy Efficient Homes
>>Center for Polyurethanes Industry Announces Finalists for Innovation Award
>>ORNL to Host First EERE-sponsored Industry Day Event - Sept. 23-24
>>OSHA's New Rule on Confined Spaces Went Into Effect Aug. 3; Full Enforcement Begins Oct. 2

Dr. Richard Duncan, Technical Director at SPFA, sheds some light on the new OSHA standard related to confined spaces, which went into effect August 3, 2015.

The fall issue of SPRAYFOAM Professional has been mailed and emailed! If you didn't receive it in your inbox or mailbox and would like to be on our email list to receive the digital link, sign up here. Some articles in this issue include:
THREAT SURVEY: SPFA Reveals Results of Industry Survey
CONSIDERING CANADA? Guide to Spraying Foam in Canuck Country
CONTRACTOR AWARDS: COMMERCIAL WALL FOAM - Foam-Tech Insulation Service
SPEAKING SENSIBLY: How to Address a Retrofit SPF Job Properly
SAFETY FIRST: OSHA Publishes New Standard for Confined Spaces
ASK THE EXPERT: Applying SPF on Concrete
INDEX OF ADVERTISERS

>>Free Safety Webinars for SPFA Members
>>Updates on New Mexico's Proposed Regulatory Licensing Requirement
>>2015-16 SPFA Membership Directory and Buyers' Guide
>>SPFA Member Benefits

The first step is to decide which project(s) you're going to enter. Then head to www.sprayfoam.org to check out the Tips on Winning. Next, nominate your best project(s) using our online forms! Nominations for the Contractor Awards are due Dec. 4, 2015.
Winners will be announced Feb. 11, 2016, when SPFA sponsors the Industry Excellence Awards Luncheon as part of the Sprayfoam 2016 Convention & Expo.

Source: buildingscience.com / Joseph Lstiburek, Ph.D., P.Eng., ASHRAE Fellow
Sometimes the obvious is not so obvious. And sometimes the not so obvious becomes obvious. For example, installing leaky ductwork in a vented attic is a pretty dumb idea. It leads to negative pressures and high air change that, depending on the time of year and climate zone, results in part load humidity problems, ice damming, excessive energy use, loss of comfort, whatever. If radon were valuable we would mine it this way. Where there is an attached garage we call it the Kevorkian option. Everyone pretty much gets it...

>>Details on New Mexico's Proposed Regulatory Licensing Requirement - Sept. 14
>>Upcoming PCP Exam Prep Courses

The State Net Capitol Journal contains timely and pertinent information for almost every business owner in every state.
Volume XXIII, No. 28, Sept. 14, 2015

Federal Activities
>Talks Continue in Ramp-Up for Energy Legislation
U.S. Federal Regulatory Activities
>President Obama Announces New Actions on Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energy
>Comment Period Extended for Proposed Rule on Commercial Prerinse Spray Valves
>Quadrennial Energy Review, Weatherization Assistance Program to be Discussed at DOE State Energy Advisory Board Meeting
GGAC Regional and Chapter Activities
>2015 Legislative Wrap-Up
>Honolulu City Council Urges Quicker Adoption of Codes

Source: ashrae.org
A proposed standard from ASHRAE, currently open for public comment, would serve as the "backbone" of rating systems. ASHRAE Standard 214P, Standard for Determining and Expressing Building Energy Performance in a Rating Program, is being written to standardize building energy rating programs by requiring the minimum content of any labels associated with rating programs, establishing minimum requirements for rating program documentation and other essential components in rating programs.
The proposed standard is currently open for public comment until Sept. 28, 2015. To learn more or to comment, visit www.ashrae.org/publicreviews.

Source: OGCA.ca / Barry Normet
What a great time to be in the construction business. And, when managed correctly, construction provides opportunity unlike that in any other industry.

Source: atlantahomebuilders.com / Sheryl S. Jackson
Sustainability and environmental impact are increasingly affecting consumer choices. Consumers are more aware of the need for and benefits of energy efficiency than 20 years ago for a number of reasons.

>>2018 International Green Construction Code (IgCC) to Consolidate ICC, ASHRAE Standards
>>Building Codes Assistance Project Updates on Building Energy Codes

>>Streamlined ENERGY STAR Certified Home Version 3.0 Specs Now in Effect
>>News from the Building Technologies Office
>>U.S. DOE Building America Update

See what's in store, as far as industry events, expos, training classes, online courses, certification programs and more.

>>Good Faith in Construction Contracts
>>Six Survival Tips for Small Business Continuity
>>Q&A Session with Small Business Mentors: Get Your Questions Answered -- Webinar, Sept. 15