Elastek

CRRC Press Release

lthayer — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 16:15:49 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

OAKLAND, CA, USA – DECEMBER 20, 2010 –

The Cool Roof Rating Council (CRRC) announced today that it has been named an EPA-recognized Certification Body for roofing products for the ENERGY STAR program. The CRRC will now offer ENERGY STAR certification as an additional service to its Product Rating Program.

ENERGY STAR was established in 1992 as a joint program of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the US Department of Energy. EPA describes ENERGY STAR as “a voluntary labeling program designed to identify and promote energy-efficient products to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.” The ENERGY STAR label for roofing products was added to the program in 1999. On January 1, 2011 the ENERGY STAR program will be enhanced with several key changes to its procedures. Previously, manufacturer “Partners” self-tested products and reported results directly to EPA to receive ENERGY STAR labeling for their products. The enhanced ENERGY STAR program will require Partners to work with EPA-recognized Certification Bodies and test their products through EPA-recognized Laboratories.

The CRRC is pleased to offer ENERGY STAR certification as an additional service for manufacturers participating in our Product Rating Program. The CRRC is the sole rating entity that offers product listings accepted by both EPA’s ENERGY STAR program and the California Energy Commission Title 24 compliance program. When manufacturers choose the CRRC, their ratings will be listed on the CRRC Rated Products Directory, and, for applying and qualifying products, the ENERGY STAR Qualified Roofing Products list. This allows manufacturers to easily and effectively market their products to contractors and consumers on two of the most widely used resources in the roofing industry, as well as showcase their products’ radiative energy performance properties. The CRRC is a comprehensive program providing a one-stop shop for roofing manufacturers to rate their products.

The partnership between the CRRC and ENERGY STAR marries the rigorous standards of the Product Rating Program with the widespread consumer recognition of the ENERGY STAR program. The CRRC is thrilled to collaborate with the EPA to recognize and label the industry’s leading energy efficient roofing products. The CRRC is a non-profit educational organization formed in 1998 to develop accurate and credible methods for evaluating and labeling the solar reflectance and thermal emittance of roofing products and to disseminate the information to all interested parties. Please contact the CRRC at info@coolroofs.org or (866) 465-2523 for more information on its programs and the CRRC-1 Standard.

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For more information go to: http://www.coolroofs.org/

CRRC Press Release

lthayer — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 23:25:12 +0000

The Cool Roof Rating Council (CRRC) is pleased to announce the addition of the Solar Reflectance Index (SRI) to its Rated Product Directory. For over a decade the CRRC has maintained a third party, independent rating system for the radiative values of roofing products that is utilized by consumers and industry professionals alike. By placing SRI on the Rated Product Directory users can now reference this metric to gauge the energy performance of roofing products, in addition to posted solar reflectance and thermal emittance values.

Click here for a PDF of this article.

CRRC – Why Cool Roofs Are Way Cool

lthayer — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 23:18:12 +0000

A cool roof reflects and emits the sun’s energy as light back to the sky instead of allowing it to enter the building below as heat. In many climate zones, a cool roof can substantially reduce the cooling load of the building, providing several direct benefits to the building owner and occupants:

increased occupant comfort, especially during hot summer month
reduced air conditioning use, resulting in energy savings typically of 10-30%

decreased roof maintenance costs due to longer roof life.

In addition to these well known benefits to the building owner, cool roofs benefit the environment and public health in far more ways. As recognition of these benefits has become more widespread, cool roof requirements are appearing in building energy codes and green building programs across the nation.

Cllick here for a PDF of this article.

Elastek Joins the ITW Family

lthayer — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 19:26:22 +0000

It is with a great deal of excitement that Elastek Roof Coating announces that we are joining the Illinois Tool Works (ITW) family of businesses.

In joining the ITW family, E•las•tek^® will have access to top quality raw materials, finished products and technical expertise. This will allow us to continue to provide, if not improve on, the excellent products and customer service you have enjoyed for over 17 years. There will be little change in how E•las•tek does business, decisions will be made locally, and there will be no interruptions in our ability to service you quickly and efficiently.

We appreciate your support and look forward the opportunities a venture
like this provides.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Can cool roofs offset carbon dioxide emissions?

lthayer — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 00:14:38 +0000

Can light-coloured rooftops and roads really curb carbon emissions and combat global climate change? The idea has been around for years, but now, a new study by researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory that is the first to use a global model to study the question has found that implementing cool roofs and cool pavements in cities around the world can not only help cities stay cooler, they can also cool the world, with the potential of cancelling the heating effect of up to two years of worldwide carbon dioxide emissions.

Read the whole DOE/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory article…

Secretary Chu Announces Steps to Implement Cool Roofs at DOE and Across the Federal Government

lthayer — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 22:13:36 +0000

Cool roofs will reduce energy use, limit carbon pollution and save taxpayer money

Washington – U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced a series of initiatives underway at the Department of Energy to more broadly implement cool roof technologies on DOE facilities and buildings across the federal government. Cool roofs use lighter-colored roofing surfaces or special coatings to reflect more of the sun’s heat, helping improve building efficiency by reducing cooling costs and offsetting carbon emissions.

President Obama and Secretary Chu have made clear that the federal government should play a leading role in moving the nation toward a more sustainable future. Under President Obama’s Executive Order on Sustainability, the federal government has committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions 28 percent by 2020. As part of that effort, Secretary Chu has directed all DOE offices to install cool roofs, whenever cost effective over the lifetime of the roof, when constructing new roofs or replacing old ones at DOE facilities. With cool roofs, these federal buildings will consume less energy, offset additional carbon emissions, and save taxpayers money. Read Secretary Chu’s memorandum (pdf – 395 kb).

“Cool roofs are one of the quickest and lowest cost ways we can reduce our global carbon emissions and begin the hard work of slowing climate change,” said Secretary Chu. “By demonstrating the benefits of cool roofs on our facilities, the federal government can lead the nation toward more sustainable building practices, while reducing the federal carbon footprint and saving money for taxpayers.”

The Secretary today also issued a letter to the heads of other federal agencies, encouraging them to take similar steps at their facilities. To offer additional support for federal and commercial building operators that are looking to install cool roofs, DOE released its Guidelines for Selecting Cool Roofs, which provides technical assistance on types of roofing materials and how to select the roof that will work best on a specific facility. Review the complete Guidelines for Selecting Cool Roofs (pdf – 909 kb).

Roofs and road pavement cover 50 to 65 percent of urban areas. Because they absorb so much heat, dark-colored roofs and roadways create what is called the “urban heat island effect,” where a city is significantly warmer than its surrounding rural areas. Cool roofs significantly reduce the heat island effect and improve air quality by reducing emissions. A recent study by researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) found that using cool roofs and cool pavements in cities around the world can help reduce the demand for air conditioning, cool entire cities, and potentially cancel the heating effect of up to two years of worldwide carbon dioxide emissions. Learn more information on the LBNL study.

DOE is also expanding its research activity for cool roofs to enable technological innovation and guide policy implementation. The research effort includes developing advanced testing protocols, conducting urban heat island analyses, and undertaking studies to further quantify the direct global cooling benefits associated with cool surfaces. The Department also anticipates awarding new projects to develop higher performing, new innovative roofing materials under the Department’s Small Business Innovation Research grant program.

Below Secretary Chu explains the benefits of white or cool roofs.

The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), a separately organized agency within the U.S. Department of Energy, has already installed more than two million square feet of cool and white roofs at NNSA sites across the country. Through the Roof Asset Management Program (RAMP), NNSA currently saves an average of $500,000 a year in energy costs and expects to save more than $10 million over the next 15 years. Overall, NNSA has reduced building heating and cooling costs by an average of 70 percent annually on reroofed areas by installing cool roofs and increasing insulation.

As part of the Department’s ongoing efforts to implement cool roofs on its facilities, Secretary Chu also announced that design will begin this summer on cool roof replacements at DOE Headquarters in Washington, DC. Cool roof projects are also underway at Idaho National Laboratory in Idaho Falls and Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, New York. Collectively, these projects will cover over 350,000 square feet and save thousands of dollars for taxpayers annually.

While DOE is taking steps to more broadly implement cool roof technologies domestically, the Department has also begun exploring international opportunities to provide technical support to partnering nations. International activities include tracking the deployment of cool roofs on public and private sector buildings, sharing best practices, and developing tools to better measure and communicate the effectiveness of cool roofs.

Read a related New York Times blog.

Elastek Now Recycles Pails!

lthayer — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 21:55:22 +0000

Teaming up with Waste Management, Elastek
recycles cardboard, bags, plastic, and metal –
we’re proud to report that 99% of everything
we use is recycled. In addition, we can now
accept 5-gallon Elastek pails for recycling!

Download Our Press Release