Windpower Engineering & Development

  • Home
  • Articles
    • Most recent posts
    • News
    • Featured
  • Resources
    • Digital issues
    • Podcasts
    • Suppliers
    • Webinars
    • Events
  • Videos
  • 2025 Leadership
    • 2024 Winners
    • 2023 Winners
    • 2022 Winners
  • Magazine
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe

Owens Corning first to produce products using only wind power

By Michelle Froese | November 9, 2017

Owens Corning announced three types of commercial and residential insulation, independently certified as made with renewable energy, are available for specification and purchase. These products represent the first ever to have met the requirements of SCS Global Services’ certification protocol to validate electricity used to make them is 100% wind-powered, which, in turn, reduces their carbon footprint.

While the new offering helps Owens Corning reduce its carbon footprint – its stated goal is a 50% reduction by 2020 over its 2010 baseline – the certified insulation products, made with 100% wind energy, give commercial architects and specifiers, builders, and even homeowners the option of lower-carbon products to build greener structures.

This certification follows the power purchase agreements Owens Corning signed in 2015 that enabled new wind capacity in Texas and Oklahoma. Both wind farms came online in late 2016 and can generate 1.1 million MWh of electricity per year. For every MWh of renewable electricity generated, the company receives one Renewable Energy Credit (REC). It then applies the RECs toward the manufacture of more sustainable products.

While the new offering helps Owens Corning reduce its carbon footprint – its stated goal is a 50% reduction by 2020 over its 2010 baseline – the certified insulation products, made with 100% wind energy, give commercial architects and specifiers, builders, and even homeowners the option of lower-carbon products to build greener structures. For architects, the products will help them design buildings with reduced life cycle impact and achieve the recognized goals of the Architecture 2030 Challenge and U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED certification.

“Reducing the embodied carbon in building products has long been a discussion across the building industry,” said Frank O’Brien-Bernini, Owens Corning Vice President, and Chief Sustainability Officer. “We’re excited to see it come to life through certified products made with renewable energy and reduced embodied carbon.

“This next-step in our sustainability journey demonstrates our commitment to our company’s value of expanding our impact through sustainability, by reducing our environmental footprint and growing our positive influence, or handprint,” said O’Brien-Bernini. “We are continually seeking ways to deliver on that commitment.”

The three types of insulation available with the wind power certification are:

  1. EcoTouch Insulation
  2. Thermafiber RainBarrier Continuous Insulation
  3. Unbonded Loosefill Insulation

Embodied carbon refers to the carbon dioxide equivalent emitted throughout the product life-cycle, including raw material extraction, transportation, and manufacture.

For information about the third-party verification process, click here. 


Filed Under: Innovators & influencers, News, Policy
Tagged With: owenscorning
 

About The Author

Michelle Froese

Related Articles Read More >

Equinor launches ECO Liberty service operations vessel for Empire Wind offshore project
Triton Anchor receives U.S. patents for offshore anchor
US government allows Empire Wind offshore project to resume construction
Richardson Electronics to deliver pitch energy modules to TransAlta wind fleets

Podcasts

Wind Spotlight: Looking back at a year of Thrive with ZF Wind Power
See More >

Windpower Engineering & Development Digital Edition Archive

Digital Edition

Explore the full archive of digital issues of Windpower Engineering & Development, presented in a high-quality, user-friendly format. Access current and past editions, clip, share, and download valuable content from the industry’s leading wind power engineering resource.

Windpower Engineering & Development
  • Wind Articles
  • Solar Power World
  • Subscribe to Windpower Engineering
  • About Us/Contact Us

Copyright © 2025 WTWH Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media
Privacy Policy | Advertising

Search Windpower Engineering & Development

  • Home
  • Articles
    • Most recent posts
    • News
    • Featured
  • Resources
    • Digital issues
    • Podcasts
    • Suppliers
    • Webinars
    • Events
  • Videos
  • 2025 Leadership
    • 2024 Winners
    • 2023 Winners
    • 2022 Winners
  • Magazine
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe