This article originally appeared on the BUILDER website.
The Spray Polyurethane Foam Alliance (SPFA) has completed its mandatory five-year update to its ISO compliant Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) for three spray polyurethane foam product types: open-cell, closed-cell, and roofing foams.
The update introduces a fourth product type, low-pressure two-component closed-cell insulation and sealant foams. It also includes two separate EPDs, one for HFC-based blowing agents and one for HFO-based blowing agents, which carry a lower global warming potential (GWP). An appendix in each of these EPDs will include a list of participating manufacturers and products.
SPFA published its initial LCA and EPD in 2013 in collaboration with thinkstep, a sustainability consultant and software company. “In 2013, SPFA was the first trade association to develop and publish an industry-wide, ISO-compliant Life Cycle Assessment and Environmental Product Declaration for Spray Polyurethane Foam,” says Rick Duncan, technical director of the Spray Polyurethane Foam Alliance. “This current update is key for the industry as it both brings our LCA and EPDs current and addresses a major shift within our industry toward more environmentally sound blowing agents, which dramatically reduce negative impacts to the Earth and climate.”
Both of these updated documents will provide guidance for contractors looking to meet the requirements of sustainable building programs, including the LEED4 and International Green Construction Code programs. The current LEED4 requirements allow buildings to earn 1/4 point for products with an LCA, 1/2 points for products with a generic EPD, and 1 point for a product-specific EPD from a supplier.
Both the new and original LCA may be found on the SPFA website. The EPD for HFC-based agents is available here, and the EPD for HFO-agents can be found here.
