AUBURNDALE, Fla. (March 14, 2013) –Fi-Foil Company is set to exhibit the award winning GFP Insulation for energy efficiency upgrade in facilities and its RetroShield System for insulating metal buildings at the upcoming National Facilities Management & Technology Show today.

GFP Insulation was named product of the year at the Global Insulation Conference & Exhibition held in Toronto in 2011. GFP (Gas Filled Panel) insulation technology, combines R-Value with radiant barrier performance to provide easy to install energy efficient upgrades to building interiors with suspended ceilings.

 GFP Insulation (www.gfpinsulation.com) was developed using the same proven technology used in low-e argon gas-filled, double-paned and triple-paned windows. The product consists of multiple, honeycombed layers of thin, low-e metalized aluminum. These baffled polymer chambers are enveloped by a sealed barrier and filled with air or a variety of inert gasses.

Fi-Foil packages the product flat and the GFP Insulation expands to 1.5 inch thick at the job site using a hand-held pump or small compressor for air or tanks filled with argon or other inert gasses.  The process is simple and significantly reduces freight cost due to the compact size of the product.

The RetroShield® System (www.RetroShieldSystem.com) for insulating metal buildings provides energy efficiency to metal buildings while improving the appearance of the interior ceiling. The patented clip and pin system provides easy installation without the need for glue or strapping. The RetroShield® System provides continuous insulation with a thermal break below the purlins.

Both GFP Insulation and the RetroShield System will be exhibited at NFMT 2013 Show, March 12-14, at the Baltimore Convention Center at the Fi-Foil Company Inc. booth.  For further details about these and all of Fi-Foil Company, Inc.’s products, call 1-800-448-3401, email info@fifoil.com, or visit www.fifoil.com .

ORLANDO (Feb. 25, 2013) - It was once industry jargon but in today’s residential home market even home buyers are asking: what’s the HERS Score?

In fact, last year 35 percent of all homes sold in the U.S. were energy rated and issued a HERS Index Score, according to RESNET. The non-profit organization credited home builders using energy efficiency as a selling point for the increase in the number of homes with a HERS Score. There were 128,000 homes rated in 2012, up from 100,000 in 2008.

This week home performance professionals who conduct energy ratings for homes will be among those gathering for the RESNET Building Performance Conference Feb. 27 - March 1, at the Orlando World Center Marriott, Orlando, Fla. Fi-Foil Company, Inc. will be exhibiting its cost-effective reflective insulation products during the exhibition at RESNET.

Fi-Foil Company Inc. reflective insulation and radiant barrier products improves HERS Ratings for homes and for some applications like masonry walls, at a fraction of the cost compared to foam board and other building envelope insulation methods. In addition, reflective insulation in masonry walls under today’s stricter building and energy codes can improve R-Values while meeting the continuous insulation required by Energy Star. Other applications like attic radiant barriers can reduce heat transfer into homes through the attic for increased indoor comfort for occupants.

Fi-Foil has been a leader of reflective insulation technology for more than 30 years serving the building industry with reflective insulation for a variety of construction methods and in all climate zones as well as providing the technical support from design to construction phases in both new and existing buildings.

  This knowledge leadership starts at the top at Fi-Foil. Bill Lippy, Fi-Foil’s President & CEO, currently serves as the Reflective Insulation Manufacturers Association International (RIMA-I) liaison for RESNET’s Insulation Industry Council. Lippy will be available to discuss energy efficient design with reflective insulation during the RESNET Show at Fi-Foil’s booth No. 1228.

While you are attending the RESNET Show, register to win an iPAD Mini at the Fi-Foil booth No. 1228. For further details about Fi-Foil and its products, visit www.fifoil.com or call 800-448-3401.

Fi-Foil Company Inc., a leader in energy efficient solutions (radiant barriers, reflective insulation and insulation facings), for over 30 years would like to invite you and your firm to our AIA Continuing Education Seminar – “Advanced Technologies in Insulation.”

The program will be held at the award winning Southface Energy Institute in Atlanta, GA on March 6, 2013 from 11:45am to 1:15pm - Located at 241 Pine Street NE, Atlanta, GA  30308. During your visit, a tour of the LEED Platinum certified Southface Eco Office is available upon request.

This AIA Continuing Education Seminar is 1 hour in length and qualifies each participant for 1 AIA LU/HSW/SD.

Learning Objectives:

·        Learn how to meet the Green Building Rating System requirements and Building Codes with Reflective Insulation Solutions for Commercial and Residential Buildings.

·        Gain knowledge of the impact that three Key Principles of Heat Flow have on the energy Performance of structures from a Building Envelope perspective

·        Learn about the Energy Efficiency Benefits of Reflective Insulation and Radiant Barriers in Sustainable Design Projects

·        Understand the latest insulation technologies available to project teams including Gas Filled Panels and Hybrid Insulation Systems

Please RSVP to Jan Buehler at Fi-Foil Company, Inc., either by phone at: 863-661-9718 or by email at: jbuehler@fifoil.com.  Seating is limited to 25.

Software Programs Can Now Apply to RESNET for Calculating Tax Credit Verification

(Source: RESNET, Jan. 28, 2013)

Congress has extended the federal tax credit for builders to build energy efficient homes from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2013. As part of the legislation, Congress changed the basis of the tax credit from being based on the 2004 version of the International Conservation Code (IECC) to the 2006 version. This means that raters can no longer use their existing software to calculate compliance to the tax credit.

To address this RESNET began work on a new tax credit software test to demonstrate the program accurately creates the 2006 IECC as soon as the legislation was signed into law by President Obama. The RESNET Board has adopted RESNET Publication 2013-001 that contains changes. On January 24, 2013, the U.S. Department of Energy notified RESNET to proceed with accrediting software upon RESNET Publication 2013-001.

All accredited software programs have been provided the new publication and test and urged to submit their programs for approval. When approved they should send the new versions to their rater clients.Link to original RESNET announcement: http://myemail.constantcontact.com/RESNET-Publishes-New-Procedures-for-Calculating-Compliance-to-the-Energy-Efficient-Homes-Tax-Credit—Software-Programs-Can-Now-.html?soid=1103032892159&aid=PsSNuBsmrKU

Some great tools from DOE for building professionals truly seeking to improve energy efficiency of buildings based on science:

http://basc.pnnl.gov/

(Source: Florida Green Building Coalition)

Federal tax credits for energy-efficient home improvements are back. Reinstatement of the popular credits was a little-noticed part of the American Taxpayer Relief Act, the last-minute legislation that kept America from tumbling over the fiscal cliff at the start of the year.

The law allows homeowners to claim tax credits of varying amounts on improvements such as insulation, energy-smart windows and highly efficient HVAC systems. The law also contains incentives for appliance manufacturers to produce efficient clothes washers, dishwashers and refrigerators, and for home builders to construct energy-efficient homes.

And there’s more good news: Congress made those credits retroactive, meaning improvements made in both 2012 and 2013 will qualify. The legislation essentially turns back the clock to 2011, when the last batch of credits was in force. It erased the old expiration date on those credits and set a new deadline of Dec. 31, 2013.

The program still has a cap of $500 in total credits. That limit goes all the way back to 2006, when the very first credits became available. That means if you’ve already claimed $500 in credits for energy-efficiency improvements, you’re not eligible for more.

Specifically, these credits are available:

• 10 percent of the cost of insulation materials and systems, not including installation.
• 10 percent of the cost of qualifying exterior doors, windows and skylights, not including installation. (Credits for windows and skylights are capped at $200.)
• 10 percent of the cost of metal and asphalt roofs specially designed to keep buildings cooler, not including installation.
• $150 for a natural gas, propane or oil furnace or hot water boiler with an annual fuel utilization efficiency rate (AFUE) of 95 percent or greater.
• $300 for an electric heat pump water heater with an energy factor of at least 2.0.
• $300 for a highly efficient electric heat pump.
• $300 for a highly efficient central air conditioner.
• $300 for a natural gas, propane or oil water heater with an energy factor of at least 0.82 or a thermal efficiency of at least 90 percent.
• $300 for a biomass stove.

The improvements must be made to the taxpayer’s principal residence and must be placed in service by the end of 2013. To claim a tax credit, you’ll need to file Form 5695 along with your federal income tax return for the year the improvement is made. The credit will be subtracted from the amount of tax you owe or added to your tax refund. Before you file, you’re required to get a manufacturer’s certification statement, a signed statement from the manufacturer certifying the product qualifies for a tax credit.