BASF Helps Nonprofit Group Create Green Jobs Training Center
A Pennsylvania nonprofit organization is one step closer to transforming an old textile factory in inner city Philadelphia into a new green jobs training center, thanks to a collaboration between BASF and the Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI).
Through a global contract with CCI, BASF offered its high-performance roofing materials, allowing the Energy Coordinating Agency (ECA) to retrofit the training center’s roof to the highest performance standards.
“We’re thrilled with this roof,” said Jack Strong, manager of Smart Energy Solutions, an ECA subsidiary. “It’s given a new lease on life to our training center and 150-year old structure. The building, which was quite hot with our old tar paper roof, is much more comfortable. As soon as the BASF roof was installed, even before the finishing coat, we noticed a significant drop in the temperature.”
The organization is aiming for LEED Gold for its new facility, the John S. and James L. Knight Green Jobs Training Center, which will teach unemployed individuals sustainable construction techniques. Once the center is open, BASF will offer instruction to trainers in the latest green building technologies.
The existing built-up roof, which had been patched with acrylic coating and fabric had sustained severe water damage. Wet sections were removed and BASF’s ELASTOSPRAY® spray polyurethane foam (SPF) roofing system was applied to both the new and remaining sections. The 30,000 square foot roof now has an R-value of 38 making it extremely energy efficient.
BASF has entered into a global agreement with CCI to offer SPF roofing to all of its member cities. CCI has targeted 1,100 cities throughout the world for energy-efficient and clean-energy technology upgrades in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. BASF has also worked with CCI in New Orleans, Chicago, New York City, Toronto and Washington, D.C.