HFC ban will aid environment

September 12, 2019

In 1987 the Montreal Protocol ushered in a new era of global action on the environment when 197 countries agreed to end the use of ozone-depleting products. Thirty years later, Canada and other developed nations under the Protocol have set a target of 2020 to replace the latest class of blowing agents—hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)—with Hydrofluoroolefins (HFOs).
For the spray foam insulation industry this has meant a significant change in the products developed and used.
As a result Honeywell introduced a new blowing agent based on HFOs and Lapolla was the first company globally to develop a more environmentally friendly spray foam insulation using HFO technology.
“This new spray foam has better R-values, creating airtight building envelopes, added structural support and an air and moisture barrier along with providing an estimated 40 per cent savings in energy costs compared to other traditional forms of insulation,” Doug Kramer, president and CEO of Icynene-Lapolla Canada told Home BUILDER.
“This has created an opportunity for home builders to embrace this climate-friendly alternative, now estimated to be around 20 per cent of the insulation market,” Kramer added.
According to the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC), the phase-out of HFCs coupled with energy efficiency gains of this new class of products will avoid as much as 1°C of global warming.