Industry Partners Seek to Push the Envelope on High Performance Insulation
Arlington, TX (PRWEB) February 15, 2014 -- High Performance Insulation Professionals (HPIP), a nonprofit trade association that represents approximately 250 fiberglass insulation contractors across North America, has endorsed air sealing systems from Pro Clima as part of an effort to support the evolution of building efficiency and airtightness. Pro Clima is one of only five companies to receive such an endorsement in the HPIP 2014 Association Prospectus, with nominations determined by the association’s Systems Technology Committee and Board of Directors.
“We’re honored to be endorsed by HPIP,” said Floris Keverling Buisman, co-founder of 475 High Performance Building Supply (475), distributor of Pro Clima products for North America in attendance at the HPIP Conference this week in Arlington, Texas. “Most importantly, we’re excited to partner with building professionals that share our goal: transformation of the US construction industry toward high-performance, low-energy, and Passive House buildings.”
“Our big thing is moving everyone toward offering Grade-1 systems,” said Tanner Kinzler, Board Member for HPIP upon release of the 2014 Association Prospectus. As defined by leading home energy expert organization RESNET (Residential Energy Services Network), Grade-1 insulation requires insulation cavities to be sealed on all six sides, and be in contact with sheathing on at least one side. This insulation method is guided by building science standards which stress the importance of air sealing and continuous insulation to create building enclosures that avoid harmful thermal and condensation issues.
According to 475’s blog post discussing the endorsement, “the most resilient solution in a cold/mixed climate is an interior air barrier and a vapor-open exterior WRB/material with sufficient insulation between the two.” Attention to vapor drive and condensation is central to Pro Clima products such as Intello Plus, which is designed to work with blown-in insulation, while providing the ability to change vapor permeability in response to humidity.
“Pro Clima’s products represent the next generation of high performance, ecological building materials,” said Mr. Keverling Buisman, “we believe they’re an excellent fit for insulation professionals wanting to build a quality product.”
Full list of HPIP Pro Clima endorsements include:
• INTELLO Plus interior air sealing membrane and smart vapor retarder
• DB+ interior air sealing membrane and smart vapor retarder
• SOLITEX MENTO 1000 and SOLITEX MENTO Plus, Exterior waterproof airtight and vapor open weather resistant barrier
The HPIP annual national conference took place in Arlington, Texas on February 13th and 14th, 2014.
About HPIP
High Performance Insulation Professionals (HPIP) is a nonprofit trade association whose mission is to support high performance fiberglass systems and the contractors who install them. Formerly known as Blow In Blanket Contractors Association (BIBCA), the association has offered training, support, and industry resources over 30 years. Current HPIP membership consists of nearly 250 of the best-trained and most committed insulation contractors across the US and Canada.
About 475 High Performance Building Supply
475 High Performance Building Supply (475) provides essential building knowledge and components. 475 was founded by architects, for architects, builders, engineers and other professionals. The name “475” is a reference to the heat demand requirement of the International Passive House Standard, 4.75 kiloBTUs per square foot per year - representing approximately a 90% reduction in heating energy demand from average building stock.
475 began in a conversation between Ken Levenson and Floris Keverling Buisman while driving on the Merritt Parkway back to Brooklyn after completing a blower door test on a Passive House retrofit project in Westport Connecticut. On that drive, Ken, a registered NY architect since 1993, and Floris, a Dutch trained architect and building science consultant, discussed their realization that the US building supply industry didn’t seem to care much about low energy/high performance building or about providing the products and knowledge support required for it. By the time they crossed the Kosciuszko Bridge, they concluded that not only did the US construction market need such knowledge based high-performance materials, but that they could do it themselves. And they are.
475 Press Page: http://www.foursevenfive.com/press
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Ken Levenson, 475 High Performance Building Supply, http://www.foursevenfive.com, +1 (917) 837-8487, [email protected]
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