BASF and Atlas EPS have announced a product-specific Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) for the Atlas ThermalStar GX insulation board featuring BASF Neopor Plus Graphite Polystyrene (GPS). The EPD provides construction specialists with an environmental report which qualifies as one whole product for LEED v4 credit achievement, doubling the value that a standard industry-wide EPD would achieve.
“We’re proud of our long-standing commitment to transparency and supporting sustainability in the building and construction industry,” says Luis Espada, BASF, head of sales management for Neopor. “Our commitment to drive more sustainable solutions into the marketplace and to support our customer’s success guides our innovation and strategic assessment programs.”
“Atlas insulation products have always positively contributed to our customers’ goals of delivering energy-efficient buildings,” says Bob Butkus, general manager, Atlas EPS. “Now, we can quantifiably show the positive impact our products make and enable our customers to make more informed product selections that help them earn points toward LEED certification for their buildings.”
Neopor Plus GPS resin is produced by BASF in Germany and further processed by Atlas EPS into insulation boards in North America. The gray, plastic, granular material is a construction grade, graphite enhanced polystyrene (GPS) insulation that contains embedded graphite particles that reflect heat radiation like a mirror and reduce heat loss in a house. Neopor insulation materials meet the standards for passive house construction and, in warm climates, can save at least 30 percent of cooling energy in residential buildings. Due to its contributions to enhanced energy efficiency in construction applications, Neopor based insulation materials enable carbon management building strategies while also contributing to several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals including Sustainable Cities and Communities (11), Responsible Consumption and Production (12) and Climate Action (13).
In addition to publishing its own EPD for Neopor Plus Graphite Polystyrene Insulation, BASF is also releasing a third-party verified Manufacturer Inventory report for Neopor Plus GPS. The Manufacturer Inventory Report adheres to the requirements of the Globally Harmonized System for the Classification and Labeling of Chemicals and is equivalent in LEED v4 to Health Product Declarations, Cradle to Cradle, Manufacturer Inventory Reports using GreenScreen benchmark evaluation and Declare. By providing this report for Neopor Plus GPS, BASF supports our customers in enabling architects and specifiers to maximize LEED v4 credit opportunities.
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a green building rating system and is a globally recognized symbol of sustainability achievement. In Life Cycle Assessment, an EPD is an independently verified and registered document that communicates transparent information about the environmental impact of a product or system over its lifetime. In the construction process, EPDs help uncover the environmental impacts and benefits of the non-visible products and processes that can influence the environment the most.