Environmental Product Declaration 

Spray Polyurethane Foam for Insulation and Roofing Systems 

 

About the Spray Polyurethane 

Foam Alliance 

Founded in 1987 originally as the Polyurethane 

Foam Contractors Division, the Spray Polyurethane 

Foam Alliance (SPFA) is the voice, along with the 

educational and technical resource, for the spray 

polyurethane foam industry. Our experienced staff 

and member-comprised committees provide a wide 

variety of services to the industry. 

SPFA develops tools designed to educate and 

influence the construction industry with the positive 

benefits of spray polyurethane foam roofing, 

insulation, and climate control systems. 

SPFA continues to provide many services to our 

members and the SPF industry with the following: 

• Certification and Educational Programs 

• Technical Literature and Guidelines 800 

"Helpline" for Members Technical questions 

(1-800-523-6154) 

• Annual Spray Foam Convention and 

Exposition 

• Website 

• Research 

• Directory and Buyers' Guide SPFA 

• Regulatory and legislative activities 

SPFA is a 501(c)6 trade association, which is 

composed of contractors, manufacturers, and 

distributors of polyurethane foam, related equipment, 

and protective coatings, inspections, surface 

preparations, and other services. 
Environmental Product Declaration 

 

Spray Polyurethane Foam Insulation and Roofing Systems According to ISO 14025 

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This declaration is an environmental product declaration (EPD) in accordance with ISO 

14025. EPDs rely on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to provide information on a number 

of environmental impacts of products over their life cycle. Exclusions: EPDs do not 

indicate that any environmental or social performance benchmarks are met, and there 

may be impacts that they do not encompass. LCAs do not typically address the sitespecific environmental impacts of raw material extraction, nor are they meant to assess 

human health toxicity. EPDs can complement but cannot replace tools and 

certifications that are designed to address these impacts and/or set performance 

thresholds – e.g. Type 1 certifications, health assessments and declarations, environmental impact 

assessments, etc. Accuracy of Results: EPDs regularly rely on estimations of impacts, and the level of 

accuracy in estimation of effect differs for any particular product line and reported impact. Comparability: 

EPDs are not comparative assertions and are either not comparable or have limited comparability when they 

cover different life cycle stages, are based on different product category rules or are missing relevant 

environmental impacts. EPDs from different programs may not be comparable. 

PROGRAM OPERATOR UL Environment 

DECLARATION HOLDER Spray Polyurethane Foam Alliance

DECLARATION NUMBER 13CA29310.101.1 

DECLARED PRODUCT 

Open-cell, low-density spray polyurethane foam insulation, closed-cell, mediumdensity spray polyurethane foam insulation and closed-cell spray polyurethane 

foam for low-slope roofing systems. 

REFERENCE PCR PCR Building Envelope Thermal Insulation (ULE 2011) 

DATE OF ISSUE 10 October 2013 

PERIOD OF VALIDITY 5 years 

CONTENTS OF THE 

DECLARATION 

Product definition and information about building physics 

Information about basic material and the material’s origin 

Description of the product’s manufacture 

Indication of product processing 

Information about the in-use conditions 

Life cycle assessment results 

Testing results and verifications 

The PCR review was conducted by: 

UL Environment 

PCR was approved by Panel 

333 Pfingsten Road 

Northbrook, IL 60062 

epd@ul.com 

This declaration was independently verified in accordance with 

ISO 14025 by Underwriters Laboratories 

 ☐ INTERNAL ☒ EXTERNAL Hilary Young 

This life cycle assessment was independently verified in 

accordance with ISO 14044 and the reference PCR by:

Thomas P. Gloria, Life-Cycle Services, LLC 
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Spray Polyurethane Foam Insulation and Roofing Systems According to ISO 14025 

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Product Definition and Information 

____________________________________ 

Product Description 

Spray polyurethane foam (SPF) is made on the jobsite by combining methylene-diphenelene diisocyanate 

(MDI or A-side) with an equal volume of a polyol blend (B-side). The A and B side react and expand at the 

point of application in the building envelope to form polyurethane foam, The formed-in-place SPF provides 

both thermal insulation and air sealing material. 

SPF can be divided into three distinct classes depending on performance and application. Open-cell, lowdensity spray foam (LD-SPF) provides insulation and air sealing. Closed-cell, medium density foam (MDSPF) provides a water-resistant insulation, air-sealing, water vapor control and delivers added structural 

performance to the building envelope. Closed-cell spray foam (Roof-SPF) for roofing systems is used on the 

external surface of low slope roofs. Its higher density provided additional compressive strength needed for 

roofing applications. A summary of the material properties is provided in Table 1. 

Table 1 - Typical SPF Properties 

(1) An ASTM materials specification is under development for open-cell low-density SPF 

(2) ASTM C1029 Types I and II define the properties for closed-cell, medium-density SPF 

(3) ASTM C1029 Types III and IV define the properties for closed-cell, roofing SPF 

Spray Foam Classification 

PROPERTY 

Open-Cell 

Low Density(1)

(LD-SPF) 

Closed-Cell

Medium Density(2)

(MD-SPF) 

Closed-Cell

Roofing(3)

(Roof-SPF) 

 Density (lb/ft3) 0.5 - 1.4 1.5 -2.5 2.5 - 3.5 

 Thermal Resistivity (R/in) 3.6 - 4.5 6.2 - 6.8 6.2 - 6.8 

 Air Impermeable Material   

 Integral Vapor Retarder  

 Water Resistant  

 Cavity Insulation  

 Continuous Insulation   

 Low-Slope Roofing 

 Structural Improvement  
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Manufacturing Locations 

The A-side of SPF is manufactured by four U.S. based chemical manufacturing companies with processing 

facilities located in Texas and Louisiana. The B-side formulation is made by several formulators or systems 

houses located throughout the U.S. and Canada. Most of the primary chemicals used in the B-side 

formulation are processed in facilities in Texas, Louisiana and Virginia. 

Applications and Uses 

LD-SPF is applied to the interior side of the building envelope as an insulation and air-sealing material. It is 

used to insulate under roof decks, on attic floors, above-grade walls, and below floors. MD-SPF is applied 

to the interior or exterior side of the building envelope and can be used in the same applications as LD-SPF. 

Due to its water resistance, it can also be used on below grade walls and under slabs. Roof-SPF is applied 

to the exterior surface of low-slope roofs. A variety of polymeric coatings are used over Roof-SPF to

provide protection against ultraviolet light and mechanical abrasion. 

Installation

All three SPF classes are installed by professional applicators by on-site mixing of the A and B side 

chemicals. These chemicals, which are typically delivered in 55-gallon drums to the jobsite, are heated and 

pressurized by specialized equipment. The chemicals are aerosolized by a spray gun and combined by 

impingement mixing during application. Personal protective equipment is required to protect applicators 

from chemical exposure during installation. 
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Spray Polyurethane Foam Insulation and Roofing Systems According to ISO 14025 

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Material Content 

SPF is created by mixing equal volumes of the A-side and B-side chemicals. The A-side is made from a blend 

of polymeric methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (pMDI). The B-side is a mixture of polyester and polyether 

polyols, flame retardants, blowing agents, catalysts, and other additives that, when mixed with A-side

creates foam that can be applied for insulation. As the precise formulation of the B-side will vary with each 

company producing SPF chemicals, this study uses generic formulations based on spray foam industry 

input. A total of five different formulations were studied, three based on SPFA member input and two 

provided by American Chemistry Council’s Center for the Polyurethanes Industry. Since one half of the 

formulation by volume is pMDI (A-side), Table 2 focuses on the other multi-component half (B-side) for

three representative formulations from SPFA members. 

Table 2 - Generic B-side Spray Foam Formulations (SPFA)HEMI CAL Low-density (Low-Den 1) 

Spray Foam Classification

COMPONENT TYPE 

Open-Cell

Low Density 

(LD-SPF) 

Closed-Cell

Medium Density 

(MD-SPF) 

Closed-Cell

Roofing 

(Roof-SPF) 

Polyol(1)

Polyester - 45.0% 35.0% 

Mannich - 30% 45.0% 

Compatibilizer 10.0% - - 

Polyether 35.0% - - 

Flame Retardant TCPP 25.0% 4.0% 8.0% 

Brominated - 6.0% - 

Blowing Agent Reactive (H2O) 23.5% 2.0% 1.6% 

Physical (HFC-245fa) - 8.5% 7.0% 

Catalysts Amine 6.0% 3.0% 2.0% 

Metal - 0.5% 0.4% 

Surfactants Silicone 0.5% 1.0% 1.0% 

(1) Natural oil (bio-based) polyols were not considered in this analysis, nor were any upstream renewable or recyclable materials included in 

polyol production. Individual manufacturers may elect to include these in future product-specific LCA/EPD reports. 
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Manufacturing Process 

The schematic below shows the typical equipment components used to produce foam insulation, including 

1) A-side liquid drum and 2) B-side liquid drum with transfer pumps, which are connected to 3) the 

proportioner for combining the chemicals, and then to 4) a heated hose connected to 5) the fluid 

temperature sensor and finally to 6) the spray gun for applying the insulation. 

Use of Material and Energy Resources 

Non-Renewable & Renewable 

Life cycle material and energy resources are shown in Table 3a and 3b for each of the reference 

flows for various spray foam insulation types. All units are in kg/reference flow. It should be 

noted that the results in this report apply to all the types of densities listed. Low Den 1 vs. Low Den 2 and 

Med Den 1 vs. Med Den 2 represent slightly different consensus-based generic formulation inputs from SPFA 

and CPI, respectively, but they yielded substantially the same results. 
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Table 3a - Life Cycle Material/Energy Resources for 1 m2 at a thickness that provides RSI = 1 

 (mass basis) 

Low Den 1 Low Den 2 Med Den 1 Med Den 2 Roofing

Reference Flows

Mass [lbs] 0.131 0.131 2.55 2.55 3.67 

Thickness [inches] 1.58 1.58 0.92 0.92 0.92 

Inputs [kg/Reference flow]

Crude oil 0.514 0.517 1.01 0.987 1.426 

Hard coal 0.302 0.304 0.500 0.546 0.750 

Lignite 0.049 0.050 0.075 0.086 0.117 

Natural Gas 0.511 0.521 1.013 1.004 1.460 

Non-renewable resources 3.20 3.22 5.00 5.74 7.84 

Renewable resources 477 475 769 819 1115 

Water 458 456 737 785 1065 

Steam 0 0 0 0 0 

Table 3b – Life Cycle Energy Resources for 1 m2

 at a thickness that provides RSI = 1 

 (Energy Basis, Net Calorific Value) 

Low Den 1 Low Den 2 Med Den 1 Med Den 2 Roofing

Non renewable energy resources [MJ]

Crude oil 19.45 19.50 36.90 36.23 52.17 

Hard coal 7.50 7.61 12.46 13.60 18.67 

Lignite 0.54 0.57 0.86 0.98 1.34 

Natural Gas 20.25 20.82 40.18 39.84 57.89 

Uranium 2.75 2.82 4.45 4.82 6.65 

TOTAL non renewable 50.50 51.32 94.84 95.46 136.72 

Renewable energy resources [MJ]

Geothermal 0.07 0.07 0.11 0.12 0.16 

Hydro power 0.43 0.45 0.73 0.79 1.10 

Solar Energy 0.53 0.57 1.27 1.22 1.79 

Wind power 0.14 0.15 0.21 0.25 0.34 

TOTAL renewable 1.17 1.24 2.32 2.38 3.39 
Environmental Product Declaration 

 

Spray Polyurethane Foam Insulation and Roofing Systems According to ISO 14025 

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Primary Energy by Life-Cycle Stages 

Raw materials/blending account for almost 90% of the Primary Energy from non-renewable sources for 

each type of insulation (1 m2 of insulation with a thickness that provides RSI = 1).

Life Cycle Assessment-Product System and Modeling of Life Cycle 

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Functional Unit 

The functional unit of the product as defined by the PCR is 1 m2of insulation material with a thickness that 

gives a design thermal resistance RSI = 1 m2·K/W and with a building service life of 60 years.
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Spray Polyurethane Foam Insulation and Roofing Systems According to ISO 14025 

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Life Cycle Stages Assessed 

The LCA was a comprehensive cradle to end-of-life study for five generic spray polyurethane foam 

formulations used as thermal insulation, and included the following: 

• Production and manufacturing of raw materials for spray foam and packaging 

• Spray foam formulation 

• Spray foam installation 

• End-of-Life of insulation and packaging 

• Transportation between all life cycle stages 

System Boundaries 

This LCA focused only on the spray foam insulation in a building. All other building materials are excluded. 

Examples of “SPF Use” phase energy savings and environmental impacts avoided are covered in the section 

on Additional Environmental Information (Building Use Stage Benefits). Maintenance of SPF insulation is 

not normally required and was and therefore excluded. 

Assumptions

Since assumptions are critical in conducting an LCA, key assumptions for each life cycle stage were based 

on input from numerous industry experts and subsequently verified by experts during LCA critical review. 

Key assumptions include: 
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Spray Polyurethane Foam Insulation and Roofing Systems According to ISO 14025 

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• Properties: The two Low Density Foams are assumed to have a nominal density of 0.5 lbs/ft3and a 

thermal resistance of RIP = 3.6 h·ft2·°F/Btu; the two Medium Density foams are assumed to have a 

nominal density of 2.0 lbs/ft3

and a thermal resistance of RIP = 6.2 h·ft2·°F/Btu; and the roofing foam 

is assumed to have a nominal density of 3.0 lbs/ft3

and a thermal resistance of RIP = 6.2 h·ft2·°F/Btu. 

• Formulation: Chemicals and amounts used (listed in the Material Content section) were assumed 

representative based on input and consensus by SPFA members. Emissions from the blowing agent 

(HFC-245fa) used in closed cell foams are the major contributor to climate change impacts, 

contributing around 85% of global warming potential agent over the lifetime of the spray foam. It is 

assumed that 50% of the original blowing agent remains in the product, while 50% is emitted as 

noted in the stages below. 

• Installation: The LCA assumes 10% of the original blowing agent is released to surrounding air 

during the installation phase. 

• Use Stage: It is assumed that 24% of the original blowing agent is emitted over a 60 year lifetime. 

• End-of-Life: The spray foam is assumed to be landfilled at end-of-life. The LCA assumes 16%of the 

original blowing agent is emitted at this stage. It is further assumed the spray foam is inert in the 

landfill. 

Cut-Off Criteria 

The cut-off criteria for the LCA are as follows: 

• Mass – If a flow is less than 1% of the cumulative mass of the model it may be excluded, providing 

its environmental relevance is not a concern. 

• Energy – If a flow is less than 1% of the cumulative energy of the model it may be excluded, 

providing its environmental relevance is not a concern. 

• Environmental relevance – If a flow meets the above criteria for exclusion, yet is thought to 

potentially have a significant environmental impact, it was included.

• The sum of the excluded material flows must not exceed 5% of mass, energy or environmental 

relevance.

Transportation 

Although transportation accounted for relatively minimal impacts, data were obtained from six formulators 

and six installation contractors. Average transportation distances/transport modes covered raw materials 

to formulation facilities, A-side and B-side product to construction sites and disposal at end-of-life. Truck 

transportation models were based on the most recent US Census Bureau Vehicle Inventory and Use Survey 

and US EPA emissions standards for heavy trucks. 
Environmental Product Declaration 

 

Spray Polyurethane Foam Insulation and Roofing Systems According to ISO 14025 

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Period Under Consideration 

Spray foam installation and formulation primary data were collected using written questionnaires from 

2010 yearly totals. 

Secondary Data 

The LCA model was created using the GaBi 5 Software system for life cycle engineering, developed by PE

INTERNATIONAL AG. Secondary data were obtained using the GaBi 5 database for the raw materials and 

processes. 

Data Quality 

Data quality factors considered precision, completeness, consistency and representativeness. As a result, 

this study is believed to reflect currently produced spray foam in North America. First-hand industry data in 

combination with consistent background LCA information from the GaBi LCI database are used, and 

datasets have been cross-checked with other databases and values from industry and science. 

 

Data representativeness covered time related coverage (all primary data was collected from 2010 annual

values), geographical coverage (all primary data was collected in North America) and technological 

coverage (primary data was collected from major formulators and installers in the industry). 

Allocation 

Since most spray foam formulators create more than just the chemicals needed for spray foam, mass 

allocation of the facility’s total life cycle inventory was performed for this primary data based on the annual 

output mass of the products created. For all refinery products, allocation by mass and net calorific value is 

applied. Allocation of other raw materials and chemicals needed during manufacturing are modeled using

the allocation rule most suitable for the respective product. 

Use Stage (Phase) 

Since installed spray foam insulation normally requires no maintenance, there are no environmental 

impacts associated with its use in the case of open-cell foam. Emissions of blowing agent (HFC-245a) occur 

during the use stage of closed cell foam, as noted in the Assumptions section. However, there are 

significant energy savings and environmental impacts avoided from spray foam insulation during the use

phase. Examples are noted under Optional Environmental Information (Building Use Stage Benefits). 
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End-of-Life 

At end of life, it was assumed that all insulation materials removed from demolition of a building are

transported to a local construction waste landfill, using 100 miles as the average distance to a landfill. 

Life Cycle Assessment-Product 

In addition to embodied Primary Energy by Life Cycle Stage previously covered, impact assessment results 

are given below for each embodied life cycle stage. Impact categories were calculated using TRACI 2.0 

methodology. All results are based on 1 m2 of spray foam insulation with a thickness that provides RSI = 1. 
Environmental Product Declaration 

 

Spray Polyurethane Foam Insulation and Roofing Systems According to ISO 14025 

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Environmental Product Declaration 

 

Spray Polyurethane Foam Insulation and Roofing Systems According to ISO 14025 

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Environmental Product Declaration 

 

Spray Polyurethane Foam Insulation and Roofing Systems According to ISO 14025 

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Environmental Impact per Functional Unit 

Table 4a – Life Cycle Impacts per Functional Unit (RSI=1 @1m2 or R5.68 @ 1m2) 

How to Calculate Environmental Impact Values for “R” Values other than the 

Functional Unit. 

The functional unit for the study is in metric units of RSI=1, which is equivalent to RIP=5.68 in U.S Customary 

Units. The U.S. Customary Unit is the value one would find stated on the product data sheets for SPF sold in 

North America. In order to determine the burden per square foot for the desired R-value of product 

installed, the scaling factor for the installed R-value as listed Table 4b should be used to multiply the impact 

category value for product as listed for the functional unit in Table 4a above. The factors in Table 4b are 

applicable to all spray foam classifications. If the environmental impacts are needed per pound or per 

board-foot of the material, multiply the impacts in Table 4a using the conversion factors in Table 4c.

Spray Foam Classification 

Life Cycle Impact Units 

Open-Cell

Low Density 

(LD-SPF) 

Closed-Cell

Medium Density

(MD-SPF) 

Closed-Cell

Roofing 

(Roof-SPF) 

 Primary Energy Demand MJ 50.5 94.8 136.7 

 Climate Change or Global Warming kg CO2 equiv. 2.4 27.6 34.3 

 Acidification mol H+ equiv. 0.396 0.780 1.073 

 Eutrophication kg N equiv. 4.33E-04 8.99E-04 1.33E-04 

 Ozone Depletion kg CFC-11 equiv. 6.59E-08 1.15E-08 1.67E-07 

 Smog Creation kg O3 equiv. 0.094 0.180 0.267 
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Spray Polyurethane Foam Insulation and Roofing Systems According to ISO 14025 

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Table 4b – Life Cycle Impacts Factors for Table 4a (multiply to obtain impact per 1 ft2

 at installed R-value)



	
			
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Example 1: 

What is the Climate Change (global warming) impact, in lbs of CO2 equivalent, for open-cell foam installed 

to R13 to cover an area of 2,500 ft2? 

From Table 4a, open-cell foam generates 2.4 kg of CO2 equivalent per functional unit (volume of foam to 

provide R5.68 over an area of 1m2

). From Table 4b the conversion factor for R13 is 0.213. Multiply this 

conversion factor of 0.213 by 2.4 to obtain 0.51 kg of CO2 equivalent per square foot at R13. 

To convert this climate change impact from kg CO2/ft2 to lb CO2/ft2, multiply by 2.205 to get 1.127 lb 

CO2/ft2. 

To find the total climate change impact for the entire area of foam, multiply by 2,500 ft2 to get 2,818 lb 

CO2 equivalent for the entire area.

Installed Rvalue (RIP) Impact per ft2of 

insulation 

R5 0.082 

R10 0.164 

R13 0.213 

R15 0.245 

R19 0.311 

R20 0.327 

R21 0.343 

R25 0.409 

R30 0.491 

R38 0.622 

R49 0.801 
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Spray Polyurethane Foam Insulation and Roofing Systems According to ISO 14025 

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Table 4c – Life Cycle Impacts Factors for Table 3 (multiply to obtain impact per lb or board-foot) 



	
			
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Example 2: 

What is the Primary Energy Demand impact, in MJ, for one drum set (4,000 board-feet) of medium density

foam? 

From Table 4a, medium density foam requires 94.8 MJ per functional unit (volume of foam to provide 

R5.68 over an area of 1m2

). From Table 4b the conversion factor for MD-SPF to obtain the impact per 

board foot is 0.101. Multiply this conversion factor of 0.101 by 94.8 to obtain 9.57 MJ/ board-foot of MDSPF. 

To determine the MJ consumed to make one drumset, multiply 9.57 MJ/board-foot by 4,000 board feet to 

get 38,300 MJ per drum set of MD-SPF. 

Spray Foam Classification

Open-Cell

Low Density 

(LD-SPF) 

Closed-Cell

Medium Density 

(MD-SPF) 

Closed-Cell

Roofing 

(Roof-SPF) 

 Thermal Performance (R/inch) 3.6 6.2 6.2

 Density (lb/ft3) 0.5 2.0 3.0

 Conversion Factor

 Impact per board foot 0.059 0.101 0.101

 Impact per pound 1.413 0.608 0.406
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Waste and Water Consumption 

Table 5: Waste and Water Usage per functional unit of (1 m2 at a thickness that provides RSI = 1) 

Low Den 1 Low Den 2 Med Den 1 Med Den 2 Roofing 

Reference Flows 

Mass [lbs] 0.131 0.131 2.55 2.55 3.67 

Thickness [inches] 1.58 1.58 0.92 0.92 0.92 

Inputs [kg/Reference flow] 

Hazardous waste for recovery 0.004 0.004 0.007 0.007 0.010 

Waste for recovery 0.004 0.004 0.143 0.007 0.011 

Waste for landfill 0.003 0.003 0.008 0.007 0.011 

Water 458 456 737 785 1065 

Optional Environmental Information 

____________________________________________________________ 

Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) Emissions 

Several open and closed-cell SPF manufacturers have certified or tested their insulation products to various 

VOC standards to measure emissions of volatile or semi-volatile compounds. These standards include: 

• UL Environment GREENGUARD® Certification - The GREENGUARD® Certification Program specifies 

strict certification criteria for VOC's and indoor air quality. This voluntary program helps consumers 

identify products that have low chemical emissions for improved indoor air quality.

• California Department of Health Services - Also known as Section 01350, this small-chamber 

emissions test standard is detailed under: Standard Practice for the Testing of Volatile Organic 

Emissions from Various Sources Using Small-Scale Environmental Chambers

(CA/DHS/EHLB/Standard Method v1.1-2010). 

• Canadian ULC – Required for SPF insulation products, this standard provides a similar VOC 

emissions test protocol specifically for SPF: CAN/ULC S774-09 Standard Laboratory Guide for the 

Determination of Volatile Organic Compound Emissions from Polyurethane Foam 

• Currently, an ASTM workgroup is developing a small-chamber emissions test protocol for chemical 

compounds specific to SPF that include MDI, blowing agents, flame retardants and catalysts. 
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Natural Oil Polyols 

Natural Oil Polyols, or NOPs, are being used in some spray foam formulations, as some manufacturers are 

using renewable materials in their formulation to help differentiate their products from conventional 

petroleum-based materials. NOPs may include vegetable oils such as soy, castor, glycerin and rapeseed. 

This LCA was based on conventional petroleum-based polyols, as these are the most widely used in the 

industry and more representative of most current spray foam formulations. 

Low-GWP Blowing Agents for Closed-Cell SPF 

One of the main benefits of conducting an LCA is to highlight potential environmental improvements. This 

EPD is based a LCA that uses the most common blowing agent for closed cell (medium and high density) 

spray foams, HFC-245fa. Because of the high global warming potential factor of HFC-245fa (1,030 kg CO2-

equivalent/kg), the emissions of this blowing agent account for approximately 85% of the global warming 

potential life cycle results for the medium density closed cell and roofing foams. 

At the time of EPD release, low GWP blowing agents have been developed by manufacturers and are in the

process of being commercialized for spray foam applications. The GWP for some new generation blowing 

agents is reported to be over 100 times less than conventional blowing agents. A life cycle assessment of new lowGWP blowing agent indicates that the manufacturing burdens for a spray foam formulation using HFO1336mzz-Z are similar to and do not dramatically increase compared to a spray foam formulation using 

conventional blowing agents. Re-assessment of the spray foam life cycle using the new low-GWP blowing 

agents is an area for future study when these materials become broadly commercialized. 

It is important to consider the entire life cycle when assessing environmental impacts. The release of the 

blowing agent HFC-245fa over the embodied life cycle stages (manufacturing, installation, disposal) 

contributes approximately 85% of the global warming potential. However, when the entire life cycle (use 

phase GHG avoided) is taken into account, the contribution of HFC-245fa to the total life cycle GHG for a 

house ranges from 11% (Houston) to 4% (Minneapolis). Replacement of HFC-245fa in closed cell SPF with

one having a negligible GWP would result in GHG embodied/avoided ratios ranging from 2% (Houston) to 

0.7% (Minneapolis). Further examples of use stage benefits are given below. 
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Building Use-Stage Benefits 

The life cycle results covered in previous sections of this EPD focus on the embodied stages of a product 

(manufacturing, transportation, installation and disposal) as determined from conventional LCA 

methodology (ISO 14040/14044). However, the embodied stage impacts do not tell the whole story since 

the energy saved and environmental impacts avoided during insulation use must be considered. 

Determining energy savings and environmental impacts avoided during insulation use is performed with 

whole building energy simulation tools: for residential homes in this study EnergyGauge Software was 

used; for a typical type of commercial building (strip mall) US DOE EnergyPlus software was used. 

Combining energy and environmental impacts generated in the embodied phases with the energy and 

environmental impacts reduced during insulation use provides a complete picture of the life cycle. 

The bar chart shows the total life cycle energy results for a new residential house with open-cell (low 

density) and closed-cell (medium density) SPF insulation in roof and walls compared to no cavity insulation 

(overall trends are similar for all other impact categories such climate change, acidification etc.). Also 

shown are results for a commercial building roof insulation retrofit, where SPF is added to existing R4 and 

R12 baseline insulation levels to bring the total to R20. The magnitude of energy savings for the commercial 

building roof retrofit is significantly greater than that for the residential housing since the commercial roof 

insulated area that is approximately ten times greater than the insulated area of the residential house 

modeled. 
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For energy as well as other impact categories, the embodied aspects are relatively small when compared

to the much greater energy savings and environmental impacts avoided during insulation use for 60 years. 

Table 6 shows the energy saved/embodied and GHG avoided/embodied ratios and payback periods for the 

residential and commercial scenarios, as energy with its cost implications and climate change are typically 

of interest to many stakeholders. When the ratio of energy saved or GHG avoided is higher, the payback is 

lower. For example, in Richmond, the ocSPF saved/embodied energy is 128, and the reciprocal or ocSPF 

embodied/saved ratio is 0.008, which also indicates the negligible embodied energy compared to the 

energy savings. Multiplying by the 60 year service life yields the payback of 0.5 shown. 

Table 6 - Energy and GHG Payback: Residential House and Strip Mall roof, 60 years 

For additional details on building energy savings and associated environmental impacts avoided by using 

spray foam insulation, please see [link to SPFA website with more info. including our PU Magazine articles, 

CPI presentation, poster etc]. 

 

Application SPF Type Ratio & Payback 

Houston Richmond Minneapolis 

Energy GHG Energy GHG Energy GHG 

Residential 

Insulation 

Low Density 

Open-Cell 

Avoided/Embodied 64 92 128 164 194 248 

Payback (Yr) 0.9 0.7 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.2 

Med. Density 

Closed-Cell 

Avoided/Embodied 32 7.6 64 13.6 98 21 

Payback (Yr) 1.9 7.9 0.9 4.4 0.6 2.9 

Commercial 

Roofing 

Roofing 

R4 → R20 

Avoided/Embodied 55 15 56 15 66 17 

Payback (Yr) 1.1 4 1.1 4.1 0.9 3.6 

Roofing 

R12 → R20 

Avoided/Embodied 30 8.2 28 7.5 29 7.3 

Payback (Yr) 2 7.3 2.1 8.0 2.1 8.3 
Environmental Product Declaration 

 

Spray Polyurethane Foam Insulation and Roofing Systems According to ISO 14025 

_______________________________________________________________________________________

References 

____________________________________________________________ 

International Standards Organization, Environmental Management – Life cycle assessment – Requirements and 

Guidelines, 2006. 

International Standards Organization, Environmental Management – Life cycle assessment – Principles and 

Framework, 2006. 

UL Environment, Product Category Rule for Building Envelope Thermal Insulation: PCR Number UL 110116, 

Version 1, 2011, UL Environment. 

American Chemistry Council, Revised Final Report – Cradle to Gate Life Cycle Inventory of Nine Plastic Resins 

and Four Polyurethane Precursors,2011. 

PE International, GaBi Software, 2012. 

PE International, Life Cycle Assessment of Spray Polyurethane Foam Insulation Products, 2012. 

Baasandorj, M., A. R. Ravishankara, and J. Burkholder, Atmospheric Chemistry of (Z)-CF3CH=CHCF3: OH Radical 

Rate Coefficient and Global Warming Potential. Journal of Physical Chemistry, 2011. 115 (38): p. 11. 

International Code Council, 2009 International Residential Code for One and Two Family Dwellings. 2009, Country 

Club Hills, IL, 60478 – 5795. 

Freeman, ASHRAE Handbook of Fundamentals, Chapter 26 Update, 2010. 

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Part 2 Wall Panel Performance Testing, prepared for the Society for the Plastics Industry, 1992, Spray 

Polyurethane Foam Division: Upper Marlboro, MD. 

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Conference. 2008. Torrey Pines, CA. 

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Low-Rise Residential Buildings, 2010. 

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Software Tools Directory. 2011 [cited 2012 May, 15th]; Available from: 

http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/tools_directory/subjects.cfm/pagename=subjects/pagename_ 

menu=whole_building_analysis/pagename_submenu=energy_simulation. 
Environmental Product Declaration 

 

Spray Polyurethane Foam Insulation and Roofing Systems According to ISO 14025 

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Advanced Energy, Houston Home Energy Efficiency Study, 2009: Raleigh, NC. 

Sustainable Solutions Corporation, SPF Residential Energy Modeling Analysis/ SPF Commercial Energy Modeling 

Analysis, 2012: Spray Polyurethane Foam Alliance. 

NAHB Research Center, NAHB Builders’ Practices Survey: Upper Marlboro, MD. 

NAHB Research Center, Air Infiltration Data Analysis for Newly Constructed Homes Insulated with Icynene Spray 

Foam, 2007: Upper Marlboro, MD. 

Chan, W. R., et al., Analysis of US Residential Air Leakage Database, 2003, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory: 

Berkeley, CA. 

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Berkeley National Laboratory: Berkeley, CA. 

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Available from: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/commercial initiative/after_1980.html 

Johnas, C. and H. Walter-Terrinoni. A Life Cycle Look at Spray Foam Expansion Agents: A Cradle-to-Grave Analysis. 

CPI Polyurethanes 2011 Technical Conference Proceedings. 2011.