New spray foam insulation products have been created by
Honeywell and Bayer Pearl that can be used in both residential and
business structures within the kingdom of Saudi Arabia to improve energy
efficiency.
Energy demand is expected to double by 2030 in the kingdom
due to the boom in the region’s population, and with 1.5 million new
homes being built to accommodate the new residents, energy efficiency is top of
mind. New thermal insulation requirements have been imposed by the kingdom with
the forecasted population increase. The requirements aim to support the kingdom’s
15-year plan to build a successful and sustainable economic future. Saudi
Vision 2030 details a focus on energy conservation.
Honeywell and Bayer Pearl explained how polyurethane (PU)
foam meets the kingdom’s new insulation requirements to global industry
leaders, stakeholders, regulators and contractors at a workshop in Riyadh. The “Sustainable
Solutions for PU Foam” workshop hosted discussions on innovative
technology like spray foam systems and original blowing tools, which allow
closed-cell foam to expand and ensure top quality insulating of any structure.
Engineers at King Faisal University released a study in 2013 that indicates
energy usage can be reduced by up to 20 percent with wall and roof insulation
is applied.
“We are working with several agencies to implement our
national strategy for phasing out ozone depleting substances as required under
the Montreal Protocol,” Mohammed Al-Sahafi, director general of environmental standards at the Presidency of Meteorology and Environment (PME), said.
Saudi Arabia is planning to phase out HCFC-141b by 2018, per its commitments under the Montreal Protocol, Khaled Klaly,
program officer with the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), said. UNEP is assisting the kingdom to adopt new, more energy efficient blowing agent technology which will
help the nation meet its energy targets.
Solstice Liquid Blowing Agent (LBA) has a very low global
warming potential of 1, ranking it 99.9 percent lower than the other blowing
agent tools and equal to carbon dioxide. The tool is a very efficient insulator
and it is a simple replacement for other liquid foam blowing tools. LBA is
cost-effective as well as nonflammable.
“Solstice® LBA is a fourth-generation blowing agent
technology, which has been widely adopted around the world in many
applications, such as commercial and residential appliance insulation, panel
insulation and spray foam,” Amir Naqvi, regional marketing leader for Honeywell Fluorine Products, said. “We are delighted that Bayer Pearl has formulated
their new spray foam system with Solstice LBA and are encouraged that KSA
leaders are considering implementing these new technologies to further enhance
their economy and society.”
José-Antonio Diaz-Lopez, head of application development at Bayer Pearl, a subsidiary of material provider Covestro, in Dubai, said they first realized the potential of spray foam systems used
with fourth-generation blowing agent technology in a Middle Eastern
construction project in 2015. “We continue to make use of Covestro’s global network of
R&D-centers and systems houses in order to bring the most modern technologies
to the Middle East,” Diaz-Lopez said
