The First Facility Management Blog

Based on its recent analysis of the energy service company (ESCO) industry, Frost & Sullivan is pleased to recognize Honeywell with the 2008 North American Frost & Sullivan Award for Green Innovation of the Year. With its renewable energy profiling model, Honeywell is marking its path as a participant in innovation by helping its customers identify and implement renewable energy solutions that are not only environmentally sound, but also fiscally responsible. 

“Honeywell is the first organization to introduce an all-encompassing renewable energy profiling model that allows it to isolate where the markets are for specific renewable energy technologies that provide strong economic drivers for its customers,” explains Frost & Sullivan consulting analyst Devin Castleton. “This provides an optimum advantage for customers who are not only motivated by environmental stewardship but also by economic value.” 

The general concept behind the profiling model is the benchmarking of the variables of a renewable energy project for every location in North America, thus calculating which renewable technologies are most viable and provide the quickest payback. Honeywell can then offer a number of ways to finance the suggested projects, including performance contracts and power purchase agreements, in which Honeywell owns the asset and sells the power to the client. 

The different variables Honeywell considers for its customers include renewable fuel availability, local electricity, gas prices, heating and cooling degree days, rebates and incentives, and deal structures. After examining all of these variables, Honeywell models them against a collected database of more than 55,000 potential customers—colleges and universities, hospitals, and federal and state governments, and other organizations—across North America. 

The database gives Honeywell an accurate vision and analysis of any energy project, with any customer, at any location. Honeywell can provide not only  guidance on which renewable technology a customer should use given a set of unique variables, but also a financial forecast derived from the intricate details the profiling model calculates. 

Honeywell uses the data in the profiling model to create a renewable energy scorecard for each customer. This tool illustrates and evaluates the impact of several technologies and provides the customer with a full range look at the different types of renewable energy resources available, along with financial modeling parameters for each technology. 

“The renewable energy scorecard is a data driven solution to a complex issue,” says Kent Anson, vice president of global energy for Honeywell Building Solutions. “It’s important that environmental stewardship makes good business sense too. Our profiling model and the scorecard take the guesswork out of the equation.” 

The renewable energy scorecard is part of an ongoing effort at Honeywell to help its customers maximize the use of renewable technologies and cut energy costs. Over the past three years, the company has helped a variety of customers install biomass, solar, and geothermal technology. 

These projects are expected to reduce annual carbon emissions by 21 million pounds and nitrous oxide emissions by 187,000 pounds, which is equivalent to removing more than 6,500 cars from the road. The switch to a renewable energy source also is expected to help these customers trim millions from their utility bills. 

Honeywell’s commitment to further developing and utilizing green energy, and helping its customers apply it feasibly, demonstrates a set of best practices that have been recognized by Frost & Sullivan research. Frost & Sullivan presented Honeywell with the 2008 Green Innovation of the Year Award, and expects the company to further its role as an innovative market leader in the long term. 

“Ultimately, the model does exactly what it was designed to do—identify renewable energy technologies that will contribute to the preservation of the environment and the reduction of energy resources that pollute the air and emit harmful greenhouse gases,” continues Castleton. “Honeywell’s model helps initiate projects that will have a lasting, positive impact on the next generation of residents.” 

Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents this award to the company that has demonstrated unique product design and development initiatives, aligned with a sustainable and environmentally conscious objective within its industry sector. The award signifies the company’s identification of a unique and revolutionary solution with significant environmental benefits, while presenting tremendous market potential simultaneously. It also signifies that the company’s overall business strategy is sound and poised for success. 

Frost & Sullivan Best Practices Awards recognize companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis, and extensive secondary research in order to identify best practices.

The company has secured global rights from DuPont allowing it to sell R-422D, a replacement for R-22 in refrigeration and air conditioning systems. R-422D is a non-ozone-depleting hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerant that is a retrofit solution for replacing ozone-depleting R-22 in existing systems. Honeywell will sell R-422D under the Genetron® refrigerants brand name.

“This global agreement allows Honeywell to provide additional solutions for its customers all over the world who must meet regulatory requirements to phase-out ozone-deplete substances,” said David Diggs, global business director for the refrigerants business of Honeywell Fluorine Products.

Under the Montreal Protocol, all signatory nations have agreed to phase-out the use of ozone-depleting substances, including chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs). The European Union has aggressively implemented this change. In 2003, it banned new systems from using R-22, a HCFC refrigerant. Additionally, in 2010 the production of R-22 for refrigeration and air-conditioning applications for service of existing equipment will also be prohibited. Owners of R-22 based equipment will either need to service the equipment with recycled/reclaimed R-22, use a retro-fit fluid such as R-422D or replace the equipment.  Other countries are also implementing the phase-out of R-22.

The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that the nation’s schools spend an average of $175 per student on energy costs—a figure that continues to rise every year. Overall, utility bills are the second largest expense behind personnel costs.

At the same time, there is a growing awareness across the country about environmental impact and the effects of global warming. And many schools are looking for ways to reduce carbon emissions and serve as models of energy conservation.

Honeywell is helping school districts in California address both concerns through a new solar program. The company recently announced that Dixon Unified School District and Riverdale Joint Unified School District in central California have awarded Honeywell solar projects expected to drive more than $1 million in energy savings for each district over the next 20 years. Under the agreements, Honeywell will install solar panels at several facilities and sell the electricity the panels produce to the districts. The projects require no upfront investment from the districts, which are able to buy renewable energy at a price below their current utility rates.

In Dixon, Honeywell will install a SunSeeker™ ground mounted photovoltaic solar array from Thompson Technology Industries at the district’s new high school. The array will use single axis tracking technology to automatically orient the panels to the sun’s position in the sky, improving the electrical output of the system. The system is expected to generate more than 1.3 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually— enough energy to power 120 homes per year and supply more than 80% of the electricity for the school.

“The combination of financial and environmental benefits made the solar project with Honeywell a sound decision,” said Dixon Unified School District superintendent Roger Halberg. “The new high school will serve the district for a long time. And the solar installation will help ensure it is as carbon neutral as possible.”

Honeywell will install similar technology at Riverdale High School and Fipps Primary School in Riverdale. These arrays are expected to generate nearly 1.2 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually, which will cover more than 60% of the district’s total electricity load.

“The fact that going green also provided a financial advantage was very attractive to us,” said Elaine Cash, superintendent of Riverdale Joint Unified School District. “This solar project with Honeywell will maximize our budget resources while maintaining clean, sustainable schools.”

Honeywell also has implemented solar projects for Pleasanton Unified School District in the San Francisco Bay Area and Poway Unified School District in San Diego. It estimates that if only 20% of California districts installed similar solar technology, the state could reduce conventional electricity consumption in schools by six to nine percent.

Collectively, the company’s solar work for schools in California is expected to cut annual carbon dioxide emissions by more than 4.3 million pounds and nitrous oxide emissions by nearly 4,000 pounds. According to figures from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, this is equivalent to removing more than 460 cars from the road or planting 575 acres of trees.

In addition to reducing costs and emissions, the solar arrays at all four districts are expected to serve as an educational tool that faculty can use to teach students about energy conservation and alternative energy sources. Through Web based portals, teachers and students will be able to see the real time electrical output from the solar technology and learn how the systems operate.

“Honeywell is helping these school districts identify the most appropriate renewable energy technology to meet their unique requirements, and doing it in a way that is line with their budgets,” said Kent Anson, vice president of global energy for Honeywell Building Solutions. “In addition to helping the schools with rising energy costs, the solar arrays also will provide students a solid educational tool for years to come.”

Honeywell will work with SPG Solar, Inc. to install the panels and expects to begin providing electricity to the Dixon and Riverdale districts by year’s end. The work will partially be funded by solar rebates offered through the California Solar Initiative, a program aimed at moving the state toward a cleaner energy future through implementation of solar systems. 

Honeywell announced today that Dr. Ian Shankland, director of technology for Honeywell’s fluorine products business, has been awarded the 2008 Perkin Medal by the Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).

The Perkin Medal is one of the most prestigious honors given in the chemical industry and is awarded to a scientist who has provided innovation in applied chemistry, resulting in outstanding commercial development. Shankland won the award for his successful work to develop alternatives to ozone depleting chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), which had been commonly used in refrigerants, aerosols, blowing agents, solvents, and sterilant gases.

“This is well deserved recognition for Ian’s enormous contributions to the science of fluorocarbons, and their important role in helping to solve one of the greatest global challenges of our time,” said Ray Stark, vice president of technology for Honeywell specialty materials. Fluorine products is part of the specialty materials strategic business group.

“Ian’s strength as a technologist is further enhanced by his ability to convert science to useful commercial applications, which is a key criteria for Perkin Medal recipients and also a great source of value for Honeywell customers,” added Terrence Hahn, vice president and general manager of fluorine products.

The Perkin Medal was established in 1906 to commemorate the discovery of the first synthetic aniline dye by Sir William Henry Perkin. Perkin was a founding member of SCI and was also the first recipient of the award. Shankland will receive the award at the Annual Perkin Medal dinner in Philadelphia on September 18.

Since joining Honeywell more than 25 years ago, Shankland has led teams that have screened and tested many compounds in search of economically and commercially viable environmentally preferable substitutes aligned with the timely phase out of CFCs and HCFCs, including HFC-245fa, a zero ozone depleting blowing agent for polyurethane foam applications; and R-410A and R-507 refrigerants for air conditioning and stationary refrigeration applications.

Most recently, Shankland has led Honeywell’s research effort at the Buffalo, NY facility to discover and commercialize low global warming refrigerants and blowing agents. As a result of this effort, Honeywell recently announced a new material to replace HFC-134, a refrigerant for mobile air conditioning in Europe, and a solution for certain foam applications in Europe.

Shankland earned his doctorate in physical chemistry from the Adelaide University, Australia, and was awarded a post-doctoral fellowship at Brown University, where he worked for three years prior to Honeywell. He is an inventor on 49 U.S. patents and has published numerous technical and scientific papers.

Prior Perkin Medalists include: Edwin Land of Polaroid; Gordon Moore, co-founder of Intel; and Robert Gore, inventor of Gore-Tex. Among past winners are also Edith M. Flanigen and Vladimir Haensel, both of UOP, a Honeywell company.

The Society of Chemical Industry (SCI) is a unique international forum where science meets business on independent, impartial ground. Anyone can join, and the Society offers a chance to share information between sectors as diverse as food and agriculture, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, environmental science and safety. Originally established in 1881, SCI is a registered charity with individual members in over 70 countries. Its international headquarters are in London, and it has offices in the U.S., Canada, Australia, India, and mainland Europe. Ever since its foundation, SCI’s principal objective has been to further the application of chemistry and related sciences for the public benefit.

Fire-Lite Alarms, part of Honeywell’s Life Safety Group, plans to host more than 25 educational sessions throughout the U.S., free of charge. From fire alarm basics to detailed hands on training, course offerings are designed for every level of industry professional. Dates, locations and descriptions for Fire-Lite classes for the remainder of 2008 are as follows:

Location: Class Name, Dates
Baltimore, MD: MiniScan, July 8-10
Ft. Lauderdale, FL: MiniScan, July 8-10
San Francisco, CA: Super Academy, July 22-24
Little Rock, AR: SuperLite, August 12-13
Salt Lake City, UT: MiniScan, August 19-21
Portland, OR: MiniScan, August 26-28
Charlotte, NC: MiniScan, August 26-28
Columbus, OH: SuperLite, September 8-9
Denver, CO: MiniScan, September 9-11
Indianapolis, IN: SuperLite, September 11-12
Atlanta, GA: MiniScan, September 16-18
San Antonio, TX: SuperLite, September 23-24
Louisville, KY: MiniScan, September 23-25
Richmond, VA: MiniScan, Sep 30-Oct 2
Ft. Myers, FL: MiniScan, October 7-9
Houston, TX: SuperLite, October 7-8
Milwaukee, WI: SuperLite, October 13-14
Chicago, IL: SuperLite, October 16-17
Fresno, CA: SuperLite, October 22-23
Dallas, TX: SuperLite, October 28-29
Long Island, NY: Super Academy, November 5-7
San Diego, CA English: Mini Scan with optional Basic Fire, November 11-14
San Diego, CA Spanish Mini Scan with optional Basic Fire, November 11-14
Jacksonville, FL: MiniScan, November 18-20
Memphis, TN: MiniScan, November 18-20
Miami, FL: MiniScan, December 2-4
Oakland, CA: MiniScan, December 9-11.
Northford, CT: Super Academy, December 16-18

MiniScan Academy (3 Days)
A three day training on Fire-Lite’s conventional and addressable fire alarm control panels and voice evacuation systems. Power supply fundamentals, product features, installation methods, programming, and troubleshooting are taught through practical hands on exercises. Installation and configuration of Fire-Lite’s IPDACT, a module that enables the transmission of alarms from a fire alarm control panel via any IP network line (i.e. ADSL, cable, Internet), is also covered.

SuperLite Academy (2 Days)
A two day course featuring instruction and hands-on exercises in the capabilities, installation, programming and troubleshooting of all Fire-Lite manufactured addressable control panels. The SuperLite Academy will wrap up with two hours of installation and configuration training on Fire-Lite’s IPDACT module that enables the transmission of alarms from a fire alarm control panel via any IP network line (i.e. ADSL, cable, Internet).

Super Academy (3 Days)

(Day 1) Training begins with a Basic Fire Alarm Technology course covering common fire system components, fundamentals of voice evacuation, and various NFPA and ADA codes. Although part of the Super Academy curriculum, individuals seeking basic fire alarm information can opt to attend this on day course.

(Day 2-3) A two day module covering Fire-Lite’s voice evacuation systems and full line of addressable fire alarm control panels. Attendees will receive instruction on features and capabilities of all addressable panels, plus perform hands on exercises in wiring, programming, and troubleshooting.

What is your position? How many years have you been in the facility management profession?
I am the vice president for operations at Butler University in Indianapolis and have been working at the university for more than 18 years. I oversee the facilities operation for the entire campus, including managing a team of 110 maintenance and service workers, as well as overseeing the university police department.

Please give a brief description of the facilities involved in this project.
Butler University provides more than 4,700 students and faculty a world class learning environment. The university occupies more than 30 buildings on the 290 acre campus on the north side of Indianapolis, five miles from downtown Indianapolis in the Butler-Tarkington neighborhood.

Why was the decision made to pursue this project?
We implemented two phases of projects, one in 1995 and the other in 2005. In 1995, we were conducting master planning across the university and were very interested in getting a comprehensive assessment of the university’s infrastructure. At the time of the audit, we had a number of issues that had the potential to really give us problems down the road. Future cost avoidance was a major factor in justifying the investment.

Then in 2004, we started experiencing issues with the heating plant. One of our three boilers stopped working and another developed cracks, leaving us with one working boiler and no backup. With the prospect of rising natural gas costs and frequently having to repair the old boilers, it made sense to augment the boiler plant with new high-efficiency equipment.

Please describe the decision making and research process for this project.
To assist in conducting the facilities audit and develop an energy savings proposal for the Board, we sought the help of energy management experts at Honeywell. A proposal for an energy conservation and facilities renewal program was then developed. The energy savings from the $11 million, 10 year program would enable the university to fund the infrastructure upgrades and implement a new energy management system.

What led you to choose the specific solution that you did?
During the first phase of the project, we replaced the university’s pneumatic building controls with a Honeywell energy management system that electronically relayed information back to a main command center. This created efficiencies because the previous systems weren’t linked, making it difficult and time consuming to get a comprehensive picture of energy consumption.

For the second phase of work, Honeywell decentralized much of the university’s heating plant and installed 18 energy efficient, modular hot water boilers across campus. We have also initiated a contract with Honeywell that allows us to tackle small, yet, critical projects that arise between broad energy management programs.

What benefits have you reaped as a result of this project?
Since installing the high efficiency boilers, we’ve cut our fall and spring natural gas consumption by 35%. Over the course of the eight year contract with Honeywell, that’s more than $2.5 million in utility costs. The project is a fantastic success for the university.

What economic benefits have you reaped as a result of this project?
Since completion of the upgrades, the university has saved more than $200,000 annually in energy and maintenance costs.

Did you encounter any unexpected highlights or challenges while implementing this project?
We experienced a challenge with respect to financing of the project. We were on the tail end of financing with the first project, so we needed help from the university’s CFO to help us with the financing of the second project.

How did this project require you to change your operations and maintenance practices?
Under the latest contract with Honeywell, a full time service technician is located on campus, helping to manage the high level energy management and temperature control requirements of the university. As a result, my team is able to focus on important day to day tasks that are often neglected.

How have the community and customers responded to this project?
We wanted to make these upgrades as transparent as possible and we’ve accomplished this task without much problem. With a project like this, it’s better that we don’t hear anything from the students or staff. Otherwise, it probably means the heat isn’t working somewhere on campus.

What was the most professionally rewarding aspect of this project?
It’s rewarding to work as a steward of Butler’s physical plant and ensure that there is long term reliability of the campus infrastructure. It’s satisfying to know we are accomplishing something good for the university, its students, faculty, and staff.

This facility fix column was contributed by former associate editor Jillian Ruffino.

Honeywell recently announced a $4.25 million permanent load shifting program with Southern California Edison (SCE) that will reduce the utility bills of commercial customers and decrease electricity consumption during peak day-time hours.

The Night Shift program is expected to deliver 2.5 megawatts of peak power relief between noon and 6 p.m.—when energy use and utility rates are highest. This is enough capacity to cover the electricity needs of more than 600 homes.

Honeywell will manage the program for SCE, retrofitting approximately 300 rooftop air conditioners with Ice Bear hybrid air conditioning units from Ice Energy. The Ice Bear system freezes water in a storage tank at night when electricity costs are low. When the air conditioner is on in the day, the stored ice cools the refrigerant instead of a condensing unit, which consumes the most energy in an air conditioner. As a result, the modules cut peak cooling demand by up to 95 percent.

The program also will reduce power generation emissions associated with cooling by about 20% or more, because generating sources used during peak periods have a higher emissions rate than those used to serve base load energy needs at night.

“The Night Shift program enables our commercial customers to maximize cost savings through innovative green technology,” said LisaCagnolatti, SCE vice president, Business Customer Division. “The program will help to reduce high energy demand patterns we typically see in the summer months.”

Night Shift is for mid-commercial customers who have buildings with three to 20 ton roof-top air conditioner units and an electricity demand of at least 200 kilowatt hours per day. Facilities that fit this profile typically include office buildings, libraries, school and university buildings, and big box retail stores. Customers who participate in the program will receive a rebate from SCE to help offset some of the equipment and installations costs. They also will realize ongoing energy savings based on time of use electricity rates that reward off peak consumption.

The hybrid cooling systems are specifically designed for refrigerant based air conditioners, which serve nearly 80% of commercial buildings in California. This differs from other permanent load shifting programs that have traditionally targeted only water based air conditioning units. Consequently, Night Shift can accommodate a wide range of commercial customers and help them cut their energy bills.

SMART Papers has begun construction on a new $30 million high-efficiency energy co-generation facility at its manufacturing center in Hamilton, Ohio that marks an important first for the North American papermaking industry. By early 2009, SMART Papers will produce all of its own power and begin a transition to 100% cellulosic biomass fuel. By late 2009, all products will be fully carbon neutral and produced 100% fossil fuel free, company officials said.

SMART Papers, which makes premium coated and uncoated printing papers for businesses and consumers, including Fortune 500 companies, said its products will be carbon-neutral because its manufacturing center will be powered by 100% biomass, primarily yard waste as well as industrial wood and fiber waste. Biomass emits no net carbon dioxide, because the carbon in the biomass originates from carbon dioxide that was recently in the atmosphere.

The project’s full scope will enable SMART Papers to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions at its Hamilton manufacturing facility, located 25 miles northwest of Cincinnati. No food crops will be used, no farmland will be displaced, and no timber will be harvested to provide fuel, the company said.

The $30 million investment and drive to achieve full carbon neutrality at SMART Papers comes as the state of Ohio and the United States government develop new laws and regulations on carbon emissions. The Ohio Senate and House recently passed legislation, which requires that up to 12.5% of the state’s electricity consumption come from renewable sources by 2025. Under the law, half of that must be generated within Ohio.

SMART Papers officials said they are well positioned to play an important role in helping the Ohio meet its goal because the company will sell a significant amount of power on the electrical grid. By the end of 2010, all of the power supplied to the regional grid will be carbon neutral, providing a source of 100% “green” energy for businesses and homes throughout Ohio and the Midwest U.S.

Details on the new project:
The newly expanded 40-megawatt co-generation system, which ultimately will use 100% biomass fuel to generate electricity and steam to operate the mill, consists of four turbines, two condensers, a cooling tower, and auxiliary equipment.

Honeywell International supplied the co-generation system and is supervising project construction at the SMART Papers facility. Construction began in late April and is expected to be complete by spring 2009. The company has received all necessary permits for the project.

The move solidly positions the 115-year-old manufacturing center and its 550 employees for the future. SMART Papers will use a low-cost and plentiful supply of renewable fuel and will be fully energy independent. The facility, one of the oldest continuously operating paper mills in the U.S., is where coated magazine papers, coated two-side papers, and ultra-premium cast-coated printing papers were invented and first produced.

SMART Papers Leaders Discuss Significance
“SMART Papers is the first North American premium papermaker to begin the process of becoming truly 100% carbon neutral and fossil fuel free in its papermaking production,” said SMART Papers Chairman Tim Needham. “This is a major environmental advance in papermaking. We have set a new standard for environmentally responsible printing papers.”

“The production of these papers will leave the lightest environmental footprint of any premium coated or uncoated printing paper produced in North America,” Needham added.

The SMART Papers manufacturing center was an early industry leader in the production of 100% recycled premium printing papers and the company has continued to expand its environmental leadership. It currently uses up to 100% post-consumer waste to produce many of its premium coated and uncoated papers. It also has Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification for the majority of its brands. “We are committed to being the green leader in the global paper manufacturing industry,” Needham said.

“This move to carbon-neutral production is the centerpiece of our environmental and energy strategies. It enables us to have a future that is completely independent of volatile energy markets,” said Dan Maheu, President and COO of SMART Papers. “We will reduce production costs, make carbon-neutral papers, and greatly reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. We will also be a positive contributor to the green power needs of Ohio and the Midwest.”

Maheu said SMART Papers has bought and sold power from the local utility for the last 10 years. However, the current power generation facility at the mill did not maximize return of its fuel inputs. New turbines were needed to substantially increase the amount of electrical energy that could be produced.

The biomass fuel that will be used in the co-generation facility is made up of short-fiber cellulosic waste material that is typically landfilled. Biomass is widely available in the region. Ohio ranks seventh nationwide in the availability of biomass stocks, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

SMART Papers said the project will generate carbon credits that can be bought and sold on the open market.

“We see our approach as the smart choice,” said Maheu. “We will be a more efficient manufacturer, fiscally and environmentally responsible, and energy independent. This will benefit our business, our customers, our employees, and the environment. We will always push to exceed customer expectations when it comes to environmental stewardship.”

TFM has created a new, free, online resource to help facility managers analyze their purchasing options and make more strategic decisions regarding all aspects of building operations. This library of white papers sets out to streamline researching processes and increase productivity levels for busy fms.

The first offering in the TFM Online White Paper Library comes from Honeywell. It’s titled, Construction Industry White Paper: Severe Weather and Walls/Roofs, and it makes the case for SPF roofing and insulation for facilities prone to extreme weather.

Honeywell announced today that closed-cell polyurethane foam insulation using its Enovate blowing agent is helping to insulate China’s National Olympic Stadium, the first such use for a major public building in the region.

The insulating technology will help meet energy efficiency and environmental guidelines required by government construction authorities, as well as international Olympic construction guidelines regarding environmental protection. The energy-efficient material is used to insulate walls for seating areas for the National Stadium, commonly called the Bird’s Nest.

The stadium will be the venue for the Opening Ceremony of the 29th Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, which begin in August 2008. The nearly 2.8 million square-foot facility will hold more than 90,000 spectators.

Honeywell’s Enovate blowing agent, a non-flammable, zero ozone-depleting hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) liquid, allows insulating foam to expand and helps provide many of the foam’s key performance characteristics. Yantai Polyurethane Co., Ltd, based in Yantai, Shandong Province, supplied the polyurethane insulation materials. Harbin Tianshuo Building Materials Industry Co., Ltd. is responsible for overall spraying construction.

The Bird’s Nest is not the first major stadium to use this type of insulation. Closed-cell polyurethane using Enovate served as a roofing material to repair the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, La., following Hurricane Katrina in 2006.