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General Updates / Administrative
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New Year, New Newsletter Format!
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While much of the content remains the same, Roofing Reflections has a new format intended to improve content flow and functionality for our readers. This new format incorporates feedback received in the 2013 newsletter readership survey and contains integrated options to more easily navigate content and update your subscription preferences, including the option to safely unsubscribe.
We hope you enjoy the new format and encourage you to fill out this quick 2015 New Newsletter Survey to let us know of any problems you may have noticed. Feedback will help us continue to improve both the appearance and functionality of the CRRC newsletter.
Please direct additional questions or comments about the new format to Carolyn Richter, Marketing Coordinator, at carolyn@coolroofs.org.
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Annual Membership Meeting:
June 18, 2015
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Mark your calendars! The 2015 Annual Membership Meeting will be held Thursday, June 18th in Las Vegas at the New York, New York Hotel and Casino in conjunction with the WSRCA Western Roofing Expo.
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The Annual Membership Meeting is a great way to socialize with your fellow CRRC members, Directors, and staff. The meeting will include technical, administrative, and program updates, as well as a series of compelling guest speakers.
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Annual Renewals Due March 1, 2015
The online renewals system is open to all CRRC participants. All Licensees and Members will receive an email with a login and password for their online renewals payment process. Please verify that your company contact’s email address is up-to-date.
New this year. The CRRC is requiring all licensees to provide manufacturing facility locations for every LS product for Random Testing sample collection purposes. We are also collecting Scopes of Accreditation from AITLs and Test Farms.
The CRRC accepts credit card payments through PayPal and checks via mail.
Please note that renewals payments are due before March 1, 2015. To encourage timely payments and maintain an equitable process for licensees who do pay on time, the CRRC will continue enforcing a nominal late fee charge*. The late fee structure is as follows:
Payment received |
Late Fee* |
On or before March 1, 2015 |
None |
March 2 - April 1, 2015 |
1% of total payment |
April 2 - May 1, 2015 |
2% of total payment |
* The late fee will apply only to Licensee and Product fees, not to Membership Fees.
If payment is not received by May 1, 2015 the CRRC will terminate membership and/or licensee status and all products, as applicable. In order to reinstate applicable CRRC status after termination, companies must pay the full renewal invoice amount in addition to a 3% reactivation fee.
If you have any questions or concerns at any point in the renewals process, please contact Melissa Rissman at melissa@coolroofs.org or (510) 482-4420 x279.
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Ratings, Codes, and Programs
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ANSI/CRRC-1 Standard Revision Process
The ANSI/CRRC -1 Standard is currently being updated pursuant to American National Standards Institute (ANSI) requirements.
The proposed revisions and comments received during the first Public Comment Period (May 29 to July 29, 2014) have been reviewed by the ANSI/CRRC-1 Consensus Body and a second Public Comment Period will commence in early 2015 (TBD). To learn more about the ANSI/CRRC-1 Standard and the revision process, please visit the CRRC Standards Development webpage.
If you have any questions about the ANSI process, please contact Sarah Schneider at sarah@coolroofs.org or (510) 482-4420 x202.
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Random Testing and Verification Testing Update
Changes to CRRC’s Procedure #1 – Random Testing Program Policies and Processes were approved by the Board of Directors in November 2014. The changes establish new guidelines for CRRC staff and Licensed Sellers in order to help ensure fairness in the Random Testing program for all participants each year.
Random Testing is an important method by which the CRRC ensures the credibility and accuracy of its product rating program. Each year, the CRRC randomly selects and tests a percentage of all active Licensed Seller products in order to verify that tested solar reflectance and thermal emittance values match listed values on the CRRC Rated Products Directory. Products that do not pass the Random Testing program are removed from the Rated Products Directory.
Products found unable for procurement during the testing program year enter a rating removal/decertification process. Successfully completing the program’s annual random testing assignments improves accuracy and reliability of the Rated Products Directory. These changes took effect beginning January 1, 2015, and will apply to all future and previous Random Testing program years.
Verification Testing is conducted for ENERGY STAR certified products through the Evaluation Services-CRRC (ES-CRRC) program as administered by the CRRC. The Verification Testing program guidelines are determined by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and are similar to the newly adopted Random Testing Policies. As with the Random Testing program, products determined unable for procurement during the testing program year enter a rating removal/decertification process.
The CRRC is wrapping up the 2014 Random Testing and Verification Testing programs. Please see the table below for an update on 2014 and previous program years. With the Procedure #1 updates, the CRRC expects the new policies to contribute to a swift completion of previous and future program years. Please contact Arshak Zakarian, Random Testing Coordinator, at arshak@coolroofs.org with any questions about the Random Testing and Verification testing programs.
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Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
CRRC Approves Laboratory Aging Practice for Interim Product Rating
By Ronnen Levinson,
Berkeley Lawrence National Laboratory
Cool roofs can decrease the energy required for cooling buildings and help mitigate the urban heat island effect by reflecting sunlight away from buildings and cities. However, the solar reflectance of a roof is often reduced by aging, which includes soiling (deposition of particles and the growth of microorganisms) and weathering (exposure to water, sunlight radiation and temperature swings).
In collaboration with over 50 industrial partners, Concordia University, and the Cool Roof Rating Council (CRRC), Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) has developed a laboratory protocol that reproduces the solar reflectance of roofing products naturally aged for three years in only a few days.
The method uses a calibrated aqueous soiling mixture containing dust minerals (clays and iron oxide), soot (black carbon), organic matter (humic acid), and salts that is sprayed onto specimens of roofing materials. The specimens are also exposed to ultraviolet radiation, heat, and moisture before and after soiling. The method requires only a commercial weathering device (Figure 1), a simple soiling apparatus (Figure 2), and the appropriate use of each soiling component (Figure 3).
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Figure 1. Commercial weathering device.
Figure 2. Soiling apparatus.
Figure 3. Components of the soiling mixture left to right: salts, clays + iron oxide, humic acid, and soot.
Different soiling mixtures were optimized to reproduce spectral reflectance features of roofing products aged at the three exposure sites used by the CRRC—Miami, Florida, which is hot and humid; Phoenix, Arizona, which is hot and dry; and Cleveland, Ohio, which is temperate but can have high concentrations of airborne pollutants. A fourth soiling mixture was devised to replicate the aged solar reflectance averaged over all three sites, which is the aged value reported by the CRRC on rated product labels.
The accelerated aging method was applied to 25 products, including single-ply membrane, field-applied coating, metal, tile, modified bitumen, and asphalt shingle. Consistency was observed between the three-year-aged solar reflectance reported in the CRRC’s Rated Products Directory, and the three-site-average value obtained using the accelerated aging method (Sleiman et al. 2014, Solar Energy Materials & Solar Cells, volume 122, pages 271-281). The laboratory method was also successful in replicating three-year-aged thermal emittance. A recently concluded interlaboratory study with nine participants demonstrated that laboratory-aged values of solar reflectance and thermal emittance are consistent within and between laboratories.
Following review of the method by its Technical Committee and Board of Directors, in June 2014 the CRRC approved the use of the method, formally known as the ‘Laboratory Aging Practice,’ to provide an optional way for manufacturers to obtain simulated aged ratings before the end of the three-year weathering process. It is important to note that the laboratory aged values are only interim values, and that all products must still go through the three-year aging process at weathering farms to be eligible for a CRRC rating. Once the three-year aging process is complete, the interim values will be replaced by the three-year aged values.
The solar reflectance and thermal emittance measured after laboratory exposure will be reported as ‘laboratory-aged’ values in the CRRC’s Rated Products Directory. Because California’s 2013 Title 24 Building Energy Efficiency Standards accept both laboratory-aged and three-year aged product ratings, the laboratory aging option will help manufacturers introduce new products to market while undergoing the three-year aging process. The Laboratory Aging Practice can also be used informally by manufacturers during product development.
Laboratory aging for CRRC product rating will only be performed by CRRC approved laboratories that meet the requirements established by the CRRC Product Rating Program. These requirements include attending a CRRC laboratory-aging training in 2015 and incorporating the Protocol into the laboratory’s ISO 17025 Scope of Accreditation. Measurements of solar reflectance and thermal emittance for CRRC product rating will continue to be performed by CRRC Accredited Independent Test Laboratories.
The Laboratory Aging Protocol is also being developed as a standard practice by ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) Committee D08 on Roofing and Waterproofing.
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Board of Directors Meeting Recap
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September 18, 2014 Board Conference Call Updates
- Adopted new Program Manual language to allow for accelerated “aged” ratings. The program will launch when the test practice has been finalized with ASTM.
- Appointed Wade Shepherd as a voting member of the Technical Committee.
- Updated the Initial Product Rating Application Form (CRRC F-3) to include mono-color granule products.
November 13, 2014 Board Meeting Updates
- Adopted the revised Random Testing Policies & Processes to ensure products are collected and tested within the program year. The new policy takes effect on January 1, 2015 and applies to all current and past products that need to be collected.
- Moved to support the Technical Committee’s strategic goals through the formation of the Measures & Instruments subcommittee.
- Approved the 2015 budget and contract with Energy Solutions to provide management services for CRRC.
The next Board meeting will be an in-person meeting in Austin, Texas on February 10, 2015. If you are interested in attending this meeting, please contact Jeff Steuben, Executive Director, at jeff@coolroofs.org or (510) 482-4420 x288.
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Technical Committee Meeting Recap
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Technical Committee Officer Changes
The following roster changes were made to the Technical Committee since July 2014:
- Wade Shepherd of Boral Roofing replaced Jay Cruz of Boral Roofing as a voting member.
- Annette Sindar of Eagle Roofing was appointed as Vice Chair.
Technical Committee Meeting Updates
- Directionally Reflective Roofing Products Test Procedure.The Technical Committee approved draft standard test procedure for measuring the solar reflectance of directionally reflective roofing products at its August 14, 2014 teleconference.
The CRRC will be conducting a round robin study among testing laboratories to evaluate the appropriateness of the test procedure.
The next Technical Committee meeting will be an in-person meeting in San Antonio, Texas on March 4, 2015. If you would like to participate in the meeting and/or be added to the Technical Committee email distribution list, please contact Sarah Schneider, Deputy Director and Technical Committee Coordinator, at sarah@coolroofs.org or (510) 482-4420 x202.
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Working Group Updates
Rough Substrates for Field-Applied Coatings
This working group has developed a draft test procedure, in partnership with the Reflective Roof Coatings Institute, Roof Coatings Manufacturers Association and 3M, for the creation of a defined “rough substrate” that will be required for testing all field-applied coatings.
The group is coordinating a round robin study to determine the repeatability and reproducibility of ratings developed using this process.
Development of NIST Traceable Standard
This working group is evaluating the potential development of a National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) traceable standard for measuring thermal emittance. The group is determining the scope of the study and is garnering support from interested parties. A sub-task group is evaluating the technical aspects related to the development of the standard.
ASTM E408 Consideration
This working group is evaluating the use of ASTM E408 as an alternate method of measuring thermal emittance because it may prove advantageous for measuring certain types of materials. The CRRC had helped coordinate the update of the ASTM E408 test method, approved in 2013. The working group is coordinating a round robin study for 2015.
Method Evaluation Working Group
This working group is evaluating the differences between ASTM C1371 and the Slide Method results to develop a methodology for determining if re-testing of products under a more accurate test method is needed.
Methods & Instruments Subcommittee
This newly-created working group is tasked with evaluating new test methods and instruments for their viability and relevance to the CRRC Product Rating Program.
If you are interested in joining a working group, please contact Sarah Schneider at sarah@coolroofs.org or (510) 482-4420 x202.
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