February 2015

In June and July 2014, Versailles, France, welcomed 20 teams from 17 countries and three continents to Solar Decathlon Europe 2014. First organized by the Department of Energy in 2002, the Solar Decathlon challenges teams of university students to design and build energy-independent solar houses that are cost-effective, energy-efficient and attractive. Team Réciprocité from the U.S. and France placed first in the Energy Balance Contest and fourth in the Communication Contest.

NRCA will be heading to New Orleans for its 128th Annual Convention Feb. 22-26. Held in conjunction with the 2015 International Roofing Expo,® the events promise a week of opportunities for roofing industry professionals to learn and network, including roofing safety classes, a young contractors' roundtable discussion, Community Service Day, a legal luncheon, golf tournament, silent auction, awards ceremony and a construction management student competition.

Ruff Roofers Inc., Baltimore, was selected to perform the roof system renovations on two buildings at Towson University, Towson, Md. The renovations included selective demolition of copper flashings on a slate roof system; replacing decorative copper gutters, downspouts and conductor heads; performing selective slate repairs and replacement; fabricating and installing standing-seam copper roof panels; installing nail boards and slate on a new addition; and demolishing and replacing low-slope built-up roofing with polymer-modified bitumen membrane roofing over eight elevations and configurations.

Using the Federal Trade Commission's energy model calculations to determine effective R-values for insulation material, as many designers do, is not realistic and can potentially lead to increased energy costs, poor indoor performance and mechanical equipment being oversized or undersized. Yearly average temperatures are available for many regions across North America and can be used to understand the temperature ranges expected for a location when determining the amount and type of insulation to use in a roof system.

In October 2014, NRCA Safety Consultant Bill Steinmetz and John Schehl, executive director of Roof Integrated Solar Energy Inc.,™ embarked on a 26-day journey through China to deliver a train-the-trainer program in partnership with the China National Waterproof Association. Previous trips to China during the past 10 years had confined NRCA to conference centers and trade show booths. This trip allowed NRCA staff to learn and experience much more about the Chinese roofing industry.