When Chet Shank built his new home in Shippensburg four years ago, he thought he’d use an alternative method to insulate the structure. He dreamed of a product that would save on fuel costs, resist mold, and be free of harmful formaldehyde. He didn’t find it then, but the search led to a solution he now installs for others: soybean-based insulation.
Shank’s firm, Thinking Green Systems, uses the water-blown and soy-based soft foam developed by BioBased Insulation on residential and commercial projects throughout Cumberland County. Shank and his trained construction crew have installed the material on 50 projects. The firm’s largest project to date is its current renovation of Dickinson College’s Althouse Hall, a 30,000 square foot science center on the Carlisle campus. Dickinson expects to achieve LEED (Leadership in Energy Efficient Design) silver or gold certification when construction is completed.
In addition to limiting harmful health effects, the foam cuts fuel costs by 30 to 50 percent for users, says Shank. Its application in LEED-certified projects and for projects that qualify for energy tax credits have brought it to the attention of architects and project managers.
“When fuel prices reached their all-time high a year ago, we started to see more interest in it,” says Shank. Working with just one full-time employee a year ago, he now employs three.
Only two other firms in the state, Northend Barriers in Pottstown and Pittsburgh Spray foam in Pittsburgh, are certified dealers for BioBased Insulation.
Source: Chet Shank, Thinking Green Systems
Writer: Chris O’Toole
