GAF Helps Develop Insulation EPD
PARSIPPANY, NJ - GAF, North America's largest roofing manufacturer, continues to focus on ensuring that its products and processes support the fast-developing certifications and standards in the green building community.
In November of 2013, GAF was the first—and remains the only—TPO manufacturer to complete an NSF-ISO compliant Type III Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) for its EverGuard® TPO and EverGuard Extreme® roofing products. An EPD is an internationally recognized, standardized method used to analyze and communicate the life cycle assessment of environmental and human health impacts of products or services. Impacts addressed include energy use, emissions to air, soil, and water, and waste generation. In addition to this milestone in sustainability efforts, a recent independent study shows that GAF TPO is the best and longest-lasting product on the market (visit www.tporesults.com to see the performance results of all major TPO manufacturers).
Recently, GAF supplied data to and supported the efforts of PIMA (the Polyisocyanurate Insulation Manufacturers Association) to achieve third party-verified ISO-compliant Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for polyisocyanurate (polyiso) roof and wall insulations. According to PIMA, "These EPDs document that the energy-savings potential of polyiso roof and wall insulation over a typical 60-year building life span is equal to up to 47 times the initial energy required to produce, transport, install, maintain, and eventually remove and dispose of the insulation. In addition to a high return on embodied energy, the EPDs document that polyiso roof and wall insulation offer high unit R-value per inch, zero ozone depletion potential, recycled content, opportunity for reuse, and outstanding fire performance."
The PIMA polyiso roof and wall EPDs were developed based on ISO-compliant LCA studies conducted by thinkstep (formerly PE International) and are now available to architects and designers. Building materials with EPDs are now contributing to credits in green building rating systems around the world, including LEED® in North America, BREEAM in the UK, and, most recently, Green Star in Australia. They can be used in modeling building energy savings in tools like Athena Impact Estimator, which is supported by GAF. For copies of the EPDs, please go to the PIMA website at www.polyiso.org.
About GAF
Founded in 1886, GAF is the largest roofing manufacturer in North America. The company's products include a comprehensive portfolio of steep-slope and commercial roofing systems, which are supported by an extensive national network of factory-certified contractors. Its success is driven by its commitment to Advanced Quality, Industry Expertise, and Solutions Made Simple. GAF was the first roofing manufacturer to offer a Lifetime limited warranty on all of its laminated shingles, which then evolved with the introduction of the GAF Lifetime Roofing System by extending the Lifetime coverage beyond just the roofing shingles.
With a focus on social responsibility, GAF has developed Advanced Protection® Shingle Technology, which provides superior durability and wind resistance while reducing the use of scarce natural resources. The company has also developed single-ply and asphaltic membranes with superior durability and high reflectivity to meet the most rigorous industry standards while helping commercial property owners and designers reduce energy consumption.
GAF also supports the roofing industry through CARE, the Center for the Advancement of Roofing Excellence, which has provided education to over 125,000 professionals. CARE's mission is to help professional contractors and distributors build their businesses through sales and management education, and to provide product and installation training to contractors.
Alyssa Hall
Director of Marketing Communications
1 Campus Drive
Parsippany, NJ 07054
(P) 973-628-3301
www.gaf.com
