Insulation system makes old buildings new again

GreenTek Building Solutions in DuBois, Penn., has created a new product called InsulWall interior wall system, using BASF’s Neopor expandable polystyrene (EPS) as the insulation ingredient. The crucial difference in Neopor versus standard white EPS is that it contains graphite particles, which significantly improves insulation capacity and gives it a silver-gray color. GreenTek’s InsulWall was chosen by the Pennsylvania Energy Coordinating Agency (ECA) to retrofit a historic three-story Civil War building used to manufacture war uniforms located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The building will be converted into a modern learning center providing students with state-of-the-art energy conservation training and professional certification for green collar positions. The center will work with community colleges, technical schools and employers in the region who need their students and workers trained in green technology. The 20,000 square-foot center will house classroom and laboratory space with operable heating and air conditioning equipment, rooftop solar panels and other real-life situations that green techs encounter in residential and commercial buildings. InsulWall, a thin product that has Neopor EPS insulation laminated to paperless mold-resistant gypsum board, can be easily applied to interior walls without decreasing the size of the room while eliminating high costs of retrofitting. OPCO from Latrobe, Pennsylvania, manufactured the new composite product.
“It is no surprise that GreenTek’s InsulWall was chosen for retrofitting this building,” said John Monti, President, GreenTek Building Solutions. “Our InsulWall, which incorporates Neopor, provides results for energy savings – the essence of this new training center.”