The Committee on General Law of the state of Connecticut passed House Bill No. 5908, which states that Connecticut shall adopt regulations to develop safety and certification standards for the sprayfoam insulation industry.
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.
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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Huntsman Corporation announced its publication of a white paper titled, “Wind Uplift and Spray Polyurethane Foam (SPF).” The paper addresses the role closed cell SPF plays in achieving a strong roof adhesion, which can help prevent damages caused by wind uplift and water from rain during heavy storm events.
“Preparing your home or structure for extreme weather conditions is of the utmost importance,” said Trent Shidaker, Business Manager, Huntsman Polyurethanes. “The use of spray foam insulation provides reinforced protection against damage from wind uplift caused by hurricanes.”
The white paper discusses effective air barrier design and installation; how SPF helps a roof’s racking strength and how SPF can be used to combat and minimize wind damage.
To receive a copy of the white paper or learn more about how SPF is being used to protect structures in heavy storm regions, click here, email sprayfoam@huntsman.com or call (281) 719-4602.
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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 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.
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Dear Members,
Thank you for your consistent and unwavering support of SPFA, allowing us to do so many critical things for you and the industry. It’s your membership that makes it happen. It is our highest priority to serve you as our member, bring value to you and the industry, and represent the product and our members’ services accurately, positively, and completely.
I invite you to visit our SPFA YouTube page to view a short commentary recapping some of the information shared below -- the highlights of 2012 and looking ahead to the higher priority items for 2013.
2012 MILESTONES:
>> Completion and deployment of the SPF industry’s first ever, comprehensive, professional, ANSI/ISO Accredited Sprayfoam Professional Certification Program (PCP) for roofing and insulation. Rolled out at the SPFA Annual Convention, over 800 individual tests have been administered by March 2013. SPFA members get a major discount.
>> Completion and publishing of the SPF industry model Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), representing the first and only insulation/roofing industry LCA to be published. In many cases LEED credits require an LCA, and the third-party validated results prove the energy and environmental performance claims of SPF. Short and full-reports available for members for bid-package inclusion.
>> Record-setting attendance at the 2012 Annual Convention and Expo. The most exhibitors, most attendees ever, a robust speaker offering, Contractor Excellence Awards, and invaluable networking and business opportunities. Significant member discounts on exhibiting and attendance.
>> Advocated in a state that approved a bill effectively banning sprayfoam to obtain veto by the governor.
>> Participated in several meetings with EPA and other federal agencies to review certification and health and safety practices of the industry.
>> Created and published SPRAYFOAM Professional magazine, the quarterly publication of SPFA and the SPF industry.
2013 ACTIVITY HIGHLIGHT FORECAST:
>> Already in 2013 SPFA presented upon SPF health, safety, PCP certification and quality issues at the NAHB IBS show to national builders looking for consistent and credible information leading to comfort and adoption of the technology. We exhibited and presented upon the LCA and certification at the 2013 RESNET conference. These are just two examples of how SPFA is getting out the good word on sprayfoam to our industry partners and extending the reach and influence of SPF among our constituents and stakeholders. This will continue throughout 2013.
>> Already in 2013 the SPFA Annual Convention and Expo held in Jacksonville, Fl offered the most SPF breakout sessions ever for an SPFA show. Attendance broke all previous records for an east-coast convention, new winners were named in the annual Contractor Excellence Awards program, and the most exhibitors ever filled booths in the exhibit hall.
>> SPFA will be creating an SPF Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) which complements the LCA and is recognized as further environmental and energy efficiency validation among the design and construction trades.
>> SPFA will be further rolling out the PCP certification, increasing participation and delivery sources, and garnering support and recognition among our partners, the federal government, and all stakeholders. The PCP will also be developing an accredited status for contractor, distributor and manufacturing FIRMS.
>> SPFA will be engaging new committees, such as the SPFA Safety Committee, to continue putting in place the elements needed for growth and success in the industry.
>> SPFA will be updating SPF-related ASTM standards for both roofing and insulation.
>> Several states have efforts in place to pursue some type of licensing or certification requirements for SPF contractors.
SPFA will remain vigilant of these efforts and keep members informed. SPFA will also maintain our working relationship with the EPA and other federal agencies as they continue their efforts to produce sprayfoam-related materials that will affect your business. And SPFA will continue to monitor and inform you on issues of energy efficiency, tax incentives and other legislative and regulatory issues.
SPFA has worked extremely hard to address all of the areas of need for the industry throughout 2012 and we will continue to do so on your behalf throughout 2013. We are enacting our strategic plan as directed by the Board comprised of representatives from the full value chain – contractors, distributors, manufacturers and consultants.
It is admittedly difficult to squeeze a year end wrap up and a look ahead into a short summary. SPFA has done the things contained in this letter and so much more. The elements you see here are the progress related to major milestones. SPFA works hard every day to advance the interests of the SPF industry and represent you as well as we possibly can.
I know things have been tight for years. But they have also been tight for us. We have done so much with the resources we have because we are passionate about sprayfoam and your success. We recognize that every success we have must be a success that translates throughout the industry as a benefit to you in growing your business, increasing adoption of sprayfoam, combating misinformation from detractors and delivering consistent and reliable information to our industry’s stakeholders.
Your support is what makes that happen. We are here working for you, and look forward to another year of hard work and great successes.
Thank you again for your continued support. If you have any questions about the activities we engage in, about your membership or anything related to SPFA, please do not hesitate to contact us directly.
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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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Since SPFA completed development of the SPF Professional Certification Program (PCP) and publicly rolled it out at its annual convention and expo in February, already almost 800 tests have been administered. SPFA members and partners, including Gaco Western, Premium Spray Systems, Demilec, Bayer Material Science, and the ABAA Conference have all hosted testing sessions. More sessions are scheduled over the next several weeks at locations including Sprayfoam Nation, Conklin, Premium Spray Systems, Quadrant Urethanes, and NCFI, with more getting scheduled all the time. SPFA is working presently on the development of a Contractor, Distributor and Manufacturer Firm Accreditation program to complement the new certification program. To find out more about the program, enroll, register for a test, or get set up for one of the upcoming testing locations, please contact admin@spfapcp.org or (866) 222-5000 and simply state what you want to do. They will either process you or get you with the right people.
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Green Mountain State Battleground for Licensure Fight?
In the February 22 edition of the Update, we mentioned the possibility that the “master’s-or-equivalent” (MOE/bachelor’s-plus-30 (BS+30) licensure issue was heating up in Vermont and West Virginia. Concerns in West Virginia have subsided, but in Vermont, ASHRAE’s Champlain Valley Chapter (CVC) – along with ASHRAE’s partners in the Licensing That Works Coalition – is ramping up efforts to make sure that no negative measures gain traction there. Here are some of the recent developments:
The chair of the licensure board is an ASHRAE member and can participate in board discussions about MOE proposals, but is likely to recuse himself from voting on any MOE proposals that come before the board because of his affiliation with ASHRAE and our long-standing opposition to MOE (see Rules of the Board, Section 4.100.015.2, for the official Board of Directors position on this issue). Consequently, it is unclear how the board might vote if such a proposal were to be presented to it.
A state representative who is a past president of the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES), the national organization made up of U.S. engineering licensing bodies (and the developer of the model law requiring MOE by 2020), has indicated that he may propose an amendment to a professional regulation bill (covering many professions other than engineering) pending before the legislature or introduce a standalone bill to require MOE in his state. If such a measure were to be enacted, the Green Mountain State would be the first in the U.S. to adopt this controversial mandate.
At its most recent chapter meeting, the CVC hosted a point/counterpoint discussion about MOE, at which a surrogate for the state representative and an ASME member who teaches engineering at Norwich University presented opposite sides of the issue. After the discussion, a vast majority of chapter members indicated their continued opposition to MOE.
Also, the CVC will be sending letters and other materials to key legislators and to members of the licensure board reiterating their opposition to MOE and offering technical and policy support to those policymakers if they have questions about the issue.
Although no state has adopted an MOE requirement yet, ASHRAE chapters, sections, and members must remain vigilant on this issue and keep their respective Grassroots Government Activities Committee (GGAC) Regional Vice Chairs – as well as their GGAC chapter chairs – in the loop if even the chance of an MOE proposal comes up. To get connected with your RVC and to keep the lines of communication from the Society level on down, please contact Mark Wills, ASHRAE’s Manager of State and Local Government Affairs, at mwills@ashrae.org or “like” the GGAC Facebook page and post a comment.
As an aside, the Facebook page will provide frequent updates about issues important to ASHRAE members in the U.S. and abroad. Moving forward, as notable activities at the chapter and regional level arise, the committee will post about public policy successes and challenges members face in their communities. If your chapter is engaged in government activities at the jurisdictional level, please let the committee know by commenting on the page or contacting Mark Wills at the above email address so the message can be appropriately passed on, discussed, and recognized.
President Obama to Release Budget Request
President Barack Obama will release his much-anticipated budget request to Congress for fiscal year 2014 on Wednesday, April 10. The President typically submits his request in February, but held back this year because negotiations were occurring throughout February and most of March on how to address the $85 billion in automatic across-the-board federal funding cuts, commonly referred to as “sequestration”, which took effect in March as a result of the Budget Control Act. For additional information on the sequester, see the March 8 edition of the Government Affairs Update.
The President’s budget request serves as a vehicle for conveying his policy priorities to Congress and the American people, and while it often has little actual impact on funding decisions, it does provide useful and interesting insights into the priorities of federal agencies and the activities that may be scaled up, downsized, or kept the same. Next week, agencies will hold public briefings during which in-depth information will be provided on the basis for their funding requests.
For details, contact Mark Ames, ASHRAE’s Senior Manager of Federal Government Affairs, at mames@ashrae.org.
U.S. House Committee to Hold Hearing on STEM Education
The U.S. House Education and Workforce Committee will hold a hearing on April 10 that examines the importance of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education in America’s K-12 schools. In particular, the hearing will focus on the issue of overlap and duplication in federal STEM education programs. A reason for this hearing is a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report which found that there are 209 federal STEM education programs spread across 13 agencies. These programs carried a combined price tag of $3 billion in 2010.
The hearing will be available via live webcast at 10:00 a.m. on April 10, and will be later archived here.
For details, contact Mark Ames, ASHRAE’s Senior Manager of Federal Government Affairs, at mames@ashrae.org.
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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With the 2013 version of the ASHRAE/IES energy standard scheduled for publication later this year, many changes are being proposed to strengthen its requirements.
As such, 26 proposed addenda to ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1-2010, Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, are open for public comment.
“As we move toward publication of the 2013 standard, the 90.1 committee is considering many changes to reduce building energy use and cost,” Steve Skalko, chair, said. “The proposed addenda reflect a variety of changes to the standard, many of which are the result of earlier public review comments. These changes contribute to our goal of making the standard 40 to 50 percent more stringent than the 2004 standard.”
The energy cost goals for the 2013 standard are:
• Regulated Loads only – 50 percent target includes only regulated energy end use loads as included in the Standard 90.1-2004 baseline.
• Whole building – 40 percent target, which includes all energy end uses
• aa mandates direct digital control (DDC) for certain applications in both new buildings and retrofits where cost effective and defines the minimum capability of mandated DDC systems.
• bo adds requirements for use of gas condensing service water heaters in newly constructed buildings.
• bs reduces the occupancy threshold for demand controlled ventilation from greater than 40 people per 1000 square feet, with exemptions for certain occupancies, to equal to or greater than 25 people per 1000 square feet, expanding the occupancies where demand controlled ventilation is required.
• co corrects the calculation of hotel and motel type guestroom spaces based on an error in applying the room geometry of the space type, which then changes the associated whole building lighting power densities (LPDs) for hotel and motel.
• cr modifies the designation for the types of facilities eligible for the higher LPDs based on use of space for those needing additional lighting for age and other related eye issues.
• ct corrects an error for the addition of HVAC systems to heated only storage areas in Appendix G. The single zone systems would be assigned to a single thermal zone vs. being grouped with the multiple zone systems.
• cw uses the new SS-EN ISO 25745-1:2012 to add a movement energy efficiency requirement for elevators.
• cy revises the requirements for the use of exhaust air energy recovery as defined in 6.5.6.1. In 2012, addendum bt expanded down the range for the use of exhaust air energy recovery to 10 percent ventilation rates. In addition, energy recovery was removed for climate zones 3B, 3C, 4B, 4C, and 5B for >70 percent outside air. These changes were based on the latest performance and economics analysis,
• cz ensures revisions to a table and new footnotes are consistent with Section 303 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA 2007), which increased the federal minimum efficiency standards for residential-sized boilers. Section 303 increased the minimum annual fuel utilization efficiency for gas and oil-fired boilers, and established design requirements for certain types of new boilers manufactured or imported for use in the United States. All of the efficiency and design requirements took effect for equipment built on or after Sept. 1, 2012.
• da provides two compliance paths for high speed doors within the Mandatory Air Leakage requirements. It also clarifies which test glazed overhead doors are to follow.
• db addresses an error in addendum bb contained within Table 5.5-3, under the category “Floors, Steel Joist” and in the cells assigned to the “residential” occupancy.
• dc clarifies that rooms within suites should be handled individually when one becomes empty.
• dd clarifies the exception to re-roofing and roof re-covering.
• de revises the design point for waterside economizers in computer room applications.
• df replaces current minimum performance requirements for packaged Computer Room Air Conditioners shown in Table 6.8.1k with a new table based on Standard 127-2012. The standard had referenced the 2007 version of Standard 127, Method of Testing for Rating Computer and Data Processing Room Unitary Air Conditioners. AHRI and member companies have agreed to test their equipment under the new standard. The test configurations were increased and the performance values updated accordingly.
• dg changes the reference to the 2012 ANSI/CRRC Standard from the 2010 version.
• di prohibits use of fossil fuels and electricity for humidification above 30 percent RH and dehumidification to 60 percent RH, except in special circumstances. Where control is required within the 30-60 percent region, a deadband is required. Where even tighter control is mandated, the system is exempted.
• dj offers an increase in electrical/mechanical rooms in cases where the current proposed allowance of 0.42 W/sqft is not considered sufficient to provide needed vertical and horizontal illuminance given the varied configuration of electrical/mechanical rooms. The additional allowance would have to have separate control and could not be traded off to other spaces in the building.
• dk eliminates the exemption for wattage used in spaces where lighting is specifically designed for those with age related or other medical condition related eye issues where special lighting or light levels might be needed.
• dl corrects the calculation of hotel and motel type guestroom spaces based on an error in applying the room geometry of the space type and combines them into a single value since the calculated value are determined to be the same for code purposes.
• dn revises the requirements for the use of hot gas bypass as defined in section 6.5.9 and table 6.5.9.
• do is updating referenced standards in various provisions covering mechanical systems in 90.1-2010.
In addition, three addenda under review that received public comments in earlier reviews have been revised and are open for public comment from March 22-May 6, 2013. They are:
• ac provides for two compliance paths with regard to utilizing air spaces in conjunction with reflective surfaces.
• bm makes the baseline building in Appendix G equivalent to 90.1-2004 for interior lighting design.
• cl modifies IEER requirements for the air cooled air conditioners =65,000 Btu/hr and < 135,000 Bu/hr to increase the IEER from 12.8 to 12.9 for electric resistance heating units and 12.6 to 12.7 for gas fired units. It also revises air cooled heat pumps =65,000 Btu/hr and < 135,000 Bu/hr for electric resistance heating units from 12.0 to 12.2 and from 11.8 to 12.0 for gas fired units.
In addition, one addendum opens for public review on March 29, closing April 28.
• Addendum cv develops baseline energy use guidance for public assembly spaces toward assessing energy performance achievement of a proposed building. Public assembly spaces are typically designed and operated differently than surrounding spaces.
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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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