Midland, MI - September 01, 2009
Dow Building Solutions announced today that its facility in Varennes, Quebec, that manufactures STYROFOAM™ Brand Extruded Polystyrene (XPS) Foam Insulation has converted to its new zero ozone-depleting, no-VOC (volatile organic compound) foaming agent technology.
The facility in Varennes marks the third conversion for Dow, and its first in Canada which, like the U.S., is required under the Montreal Protocol to phase out hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) 142b, an ozone-depleting compound, before January 1, 2010. Dow's facilities in Hanging Rock, Ohio, and Dalton, Georgia, have also been converted and have begun shipping STYROFOAM™ Brand Insulation made with the new technology.
"We are operating on a very precisely calibrated conversion schedule, with a team of technical specialists who travel from site to site to ensure quality and performance standards are consistent across our manufacturing process," said Mike McGaugh, general manager for Dow Building Solutions, North America. "With three conversions now completed, our customers can feel confident that we will be able to supply them with quality insulation to build more energy efficient homes and buildings, just as we have been doing for the past 60 years."
Dow developed its next-generation foaming agent technology well in advance of the Montreal Protocol and U.S. EPA guidelines, and is on track to convert its facilities in accordance with the phase-out deadline. Dow's new proprietary technology delivers the same STYROFOAM™ Brand XPS Foam Insulation R-5/inch insulation value†, moisture resistance and compressive strength that builders have trusted for more than 60 years, and offers an even "greener" choice to builders designing energy efficient homes and buildings with rigid foam insulation.
"Sustainability and energy efficiency are critical initiatives at Dow," said Torsten Kraef, Dow Building and Construction Business Group vice president. "STYROFOAM™ Brand Insulation plays a key role in reducing energy usage in buildings and now, with our new foaming agent technology, our customers have an even more compelling reason to choose STYROFOAM™ Brand Insulation for their green building projects."
Sustainable Innovation
The new proprietary foaming agent technology was developed by a team led by Dow's Simon P. Lee, who was recognized by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) for his contribution to the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize. The zero ozone-depleting, no-VOC foaming agent technology isn't the only way that the STYROFOAM™ Brand Insulation produced at the Varennes, Quebec, facility contributes to a more sustainable environment. Here are a few more facts:
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When properly installed in buildings, production capacity at Varennes of STYROFOAM™ Brand Insulation could save CO2 emissions** equivalent to:
- Planting 800,000,000 trees;
- Reducing vehicle travel by 1.6 trillion miles (2.6 trillion kilometres), or more than 66 million trips around the world;
- In the U.S., saving approximately 80 billion gallons of gasoline or U.S. $160 billion ($2/gallon); or in Canada, saving approximately 303 billion litres of gasoline or CDN $288 billion (.95/litre).
- The new technology has not affected Dow's ability to recycle scrap STYROFOAM™ Brand XPS Foam Insulation back into the production line either- just as its plants have been doing for many years.
- Dow Building Solutions' building envelope products have received the NAHB (National Association of Home Builders) Research Center Green Approved mark, making Dow the first to have its line of energy saving insulation and air sealing products eligible for meeting mandatory requirements or earning points under the National Green Building Standard.
Business as Usual
STYROFOAM™ Brand Insulation with the new foaming agent technology will sport the same famous brand-leading BLUE™ color with the words "zero ozone-depletion potential" on the product print mats and unit labels. Builders can easily validate the performance of STYROFOAM™ Brand XPS Foam Insulation made with the new technology by showing to code officials the ICC-ES report issued in January 2009. Customers supplied by the Varennes, Quebec, plant can expect excellent product performance and uninterrupted product supply as the converted plant begins operations. All required Canadian approvals for products being manufactured at the Varennes facility with the new foaming agent technology have been obtained.
About Dow Building Solutions
Dow Building Solutions has a 60-year legacy of providing energy saving solutions to the global commercial and residential construction industry, which began with the launch of its flagship STYROFOAM™ extruded polystyrene (XPS) insulation, one of the most recognized brands of insulation in the world. A business unit within The Dow Chemical Company's Advanced Materials Division, Dow Building Solutions offers unsurpassed expertise to help builders, designers, architects and homeowners reduce energy costs and protect against wind, rain and moisture, while contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
About Dow
† R means resistance to heat flow. The higher the R-value, the greater the insulating power.
** Based on maximum production capacity at Varennes during a twenty year period, a product lifetime of 50 years, and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of Greenhouse Gas Emission Reductions from the "Use of Dow Thermal Insulation." This LCA study will be submitted for external publication in 2009
™ The color BLUE is a trademark of The Dow Chemical Company
For Editorial Information:
Jan McKinnon
The Dow Chemical Company
+1 (519) 541-0336
Elizabeth McDonnell
Gibbs & Soell Public Relations
1 (212) 697-2600
emcdonnell@gibbs-soell.com
