Oct 23 2009
Plant manufactures greenhouse gas-reducing FOAMULAR(R) insulation
Owens Corning (NYSE: OC), a world leader in building materials and glass fiber reinforcements, today announced that its Gresham, Ore. plant, which manufactures FOAMULAR® extruded polystyrene rigid foam insulation, has received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Gold certification for new construction from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).
Owens Corning's Gresham plant is the only LEED Gold-certified insulation facility in the United States and one of approximately 203 industrial facilities in the U.S. that have been awarded LEED certification. LEED is recognized as one of the nation's pre-eminent green building certification programs to recognize superior achievement in design, construction and operation of green buildings.
Owens Corning's Gresham facility uses 100 percent green renewable energy and a blowing agent that does not deplete the ozone to produce its GREENGUARD-certified FOAMULAR® insulation, which conserves energy and reduces greenhouse gas emissions of homes and buildings.
Created by Owens Corning, the Gresham plant's revolutionary blowing agent is the first of its kind to be used in a Pacific Northwest facility.
By manufacturing its FOAMULAR® insulation closer to its customers, Owens Corning's Gresham plant will prevent emissions of more than 500 tons of carbon dioxide each year - the equivalent of more than 50,000 gallons of gasoline - that would have been expended to transport the insulation from other production facilities.
"We are proud that Owens Corning's Gresham facility has been recognized with LEED Gold certification, and that the FOAMULAR® insulation produced there helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and conserve energy," said Frank O'Brien-Bernini, chief sustainability officer, Owens Corning. "This honor highlights Owens Corning's unwavering commitment to its sustainability goals, including greening our operations, greening our products and accelerating energy efficiency improvements in the built environment."
LEED certification is a nationally accepted benchmark for sustainable green building practices. It promotes a comprehensive approach to sustainability by recognizing superior performance in five key areas of environmental health: sustainable site development, water efficiency, energy usage, materials selection, and indoor air quality. More than 3,850 buildings in the United States are currently LEED certified.
"Building operations are nearly 40 percent of the solution to the global climate change challenge," said Rick Fedrizzi, president, chief executive officer and founding chair, U.S. Green Building Council. "While climate change is a global problem, innovative companies like Owens Corning are addressing it through local solutions."
Source: http://www.owenscorning.com/