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D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 4 | 37 Insulation P H OTO G R A P H Y CO U RT E S Y BA S F; H U N T S M A N B U I L D I N G S O LU T I O N S estimates that the stone wool building insulation it sold in 2023 will, over its lifetime, save 100 times the energy consumed, and carbon dioxide emitted dur- ing its production. So significant is the product's success that in March of this year Rockwool announced that it had signed an agreement to acquire 250 acres in Walla Walla County, Washington, with the intention to build a state-of-the-art manufactur- ing facility featuring proprietary electric melting technology for its stone wool systems. Although no construction timeline has been announced for the new facility, this will be Rockwool's fifth North American manufacturing facility and will support growing demand for stone wool solutions in the western U.S. BASF's contribution to the spray foam insulation market is noteworthy, considering the company's specialty of creating chemistry for sustainable construction results in products and expertise that meet the challenges of increasingly more stringent building codes. BASF's Walltite is a purple, closed- cell, medium density, polyurethane foam insulation/air barrier system designed to improve the energy efficiency of any type of building. It has been evaluated by the Canadian Construction Materials Centre (CCMC) as both a spray poly- urethane foam thermal insulation conforming to CAN/ULC S705.1 and as an air barrier system complying with the current National Building Code of Canada. Walltite is for residential, commercial, industrial, and institutional building applications. The latest Walltite chemistries were developed using blowing agents based on hydrofluoroolefins (HFOs) with lower global warming potential compared to previous hydrofluorocarbons-based (HFCs) chemistries. It can be used above or below grade, for interior or exterior building envelope applications including exterior, cavity, and foundation walls, between steel or wood framing, under floor slabs, in cantilevered areas, and in specialized applications. Huntsman Building Solutions enjoyed a busy 2024, including a change of leadership. In September Doug Brady succeeded Simon Baker as its president, causing Huntsman's polyurethanes division president, Tony Hankins, to remark that he is excited by the appointment: "Brady has deep market expertise and a strong track record of success. Moving forward, we're optimistic about the opportunities for the business. We aim to expand spray foam markets, reduce energy costs, and improve home affordability within the new building code landscape." Huntsman Building Solutions is a global leader in high-performance, sustainable building envelope solutions, and one recent notable Canadian project it worked on was The Stack in downtown Vancouver, a 37-storey, 550,000-square-foot sky- scraper with a distinctive box design. The Stack is also Canada's inau- gural commercial high-rise tower to receive the CAGBC's Zero Carbon The Stack, Vancouver, B.C. Walltite closed-cell, medium density, polyurethane foam insulation/air barrier system. It's in our name Learn more Need Solutions to Help with Your Innovative Design? The D-Max Wall Assembly from HBS is a complete air barrier system, insulation and vapour barrier solution: • Adaptable to all design shapes • Using fewer products • Accelerating the building delivery and construction process • Allowing for substantial cost savings • Complies with all required fire testing for high rise buildings Made in Canada