SPRAYFOAM Professional - Spring 2015 - (Page 30) BEHIND THE FOAM SPF INDUSTRY PREPPING FOR CODE CHANGES IN SWEDEN BY SHANI CALVO I n Sweden, where the average low in the winter is between 20-54 degrees and temperatures have reached as low as -17 degrees, efficient insulation is in demand. Take into account the mere 4-6 hours of daylight Northern Sweden sees in the winter, and the demand seems like it would be staggering. But, spray polyurethane foam has not dominated the markets there, as it has begun to do in other parts of the world. In fact, according to a report by KEMI, the Swedish Chemical Agency (www.kemi.se), the use of diisocyanates in Sweden for insulation purposes in 2010 was only 1%. The bulk of the use was for plastics raw material (86%). See chart on p32. At SundaHus, an environmental registry in Sweden, the report is the same. Jane Wigren, an assessment manager at SundaHus, said, "SPF is basically still pretty new in Sweden. It is not an established product range; mineral wool is more common when it comes to insulation." As SundaHus provides assessments of construction materials, "We can see which products have been chosen. There have not been so many projects that have registered this product," said Wigren. "People are very conservative. To start with something new is not so easy." 30 SPRAYFOAM PROFESSIONAL | Spring 2015 Ronald Kershaw, owner of IsoGreen Industries AB, is all too aware of the numbers, as his business is based in Sweden and he has been educating Scandinavians on its benefits for the past six years. "I have been involved in sprayfoam since 2009," said Kershaw, who started his company in 2010. "We were looking for solutions in a building company - I had to make the buildings more energy efficient. I was introduced to sprayfoam, attended the International Builders' Show to find out more, made contact with a manufacturer, then we were offered the distribution. We decided to make the best of it." Almost immediately, Kershaw realized the importance of having trained applicators and, with the help of the equipment and chemical manufacturer, started training contractors on the correct application of SPF. Now, Kershaw said his company has been involved in educating a lot of the applicators in Sweden. And, Kershaw said he has noticed an upswing in SPF demand and expects an even bigger demand come 2018. "In 2018 the building regulations for energy usage will be so tough, it will be almost impossible for traditional insulation to meet those requirements without having a 2-foot thick wall," said Kershaw. "So we preparing and waiting to see what happens when the new regulations go into effect." In http://www.kemi.se Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of SPRAYFOAM Professional - Spring 2015 Executive Director’s Corner President’s Post Foam Business News SPFA Today Industry by Design Legislative Update Why I Support SPF Safety First Energy Codes and the Benefits of SPF Behind the Foam SPF Industry Prepping for Code Changes in Sweden How to Make Money and Have Fun Doing It What You Need to Know Before You File in 2015 Tips on Spraying Foam – Are You Doing It Right? Choosing the Right Strategy for Complex Construction Claims 10 Ways Your Company Can Use Instagram ABBAA News Ask the Expert Calendar of Events Index of Advertisers/ Advertisers.com SPRAYFOAM Professional - Spring 2015 http://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/SPFQ/SPFQ0318 http://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/SPFQ/SPFQ0218 http://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/SPFQ/SPFQ0118 http://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/SPFQ/SPFQ0417 http://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/SPFQ/SPFQ0317 http://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/SPFQ/SPFQ0217 http://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/SPFQ/SPFQ0117 http://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/SPFQ/SPFQ0416 http://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/SPFQ/SPFQ0316 http://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/SPFQ/SPFQ0216 http://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/SPFQ/SPFQ0116 http://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/SPFQ/SPFQ0415 http://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/SPFQ/SPFQ0315 http://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/SPFQ/SPFQ0215 http://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/SPFQ/SPFQ0115 http://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/SPFQ/SPFQ0414 http://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/SPFQ/SPFQ0314 http://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/SPFQ/SPFQ0214 http://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/SPFQ/SPFQ0114 http://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/SPFQ/SPFQ0413 http://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/SPFQ/SPFQ0313 http://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/SPFQ/SPFQ0213 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/naylor/SPFQ0113 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/naylor/SPFQ0412 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/naylor/SPFQ0312 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/naylor/SPFQ0212 http://www.nxtbookMEDIA.com
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