Coatings World - November 2014

PPG Showcases Solutions
for Wind Power Market

PPG Industries displayed its wind industry solutions during China Wind Power 2014 at the China International Exhibition Center in Beijing. PPG showcased its comprehensive collection of products for the Chinese wind power industry for the seventh consecutive year.

For coating wind turbine blades, the SELEMIX coating system from PPG includes a combined topcoat and basecoat to help reduce operating costs and offers long-term blade protection and enhanced operational efficiency for wind farms across the globe. AUE-50000 polyurethane topcoat for wind turbine blades is highly erosion-resistant and offers good adhesion, flexibility, smoothness, impact resistance and weatherability for long-term, low-maintenance protection. When used with HSP-7401 polyurethane primer, AUE-50000 topcoat can help reduce coating thickness on wind turbine blades for enhanced turbine energy output.

PPG’s high-performance coatings protect wind towers and components around the world. Combining a zinc-rich epoxy basecoat with patented PSX 700 epoxy-polysiloxane topcoat, a two-layer PPG coating system can provide an efficient, durable and sustainable solution for protecting wind power facilities in the toughest environments. In addition to extending the lifespan of wind towers, this system can significantly reduce maintenance costs for offshore wind installations.

PPG’s protective coatings for air-blower application offer lasting protection for wind-turbine components such as bases, wheel hubs, fixed and rotor shafts, dynamos, and flanges, as do the company’s coatings for hot-zinc-sprayed, hot-zinc-dip-galvanized and aluminum-sprayed metal structures. Also, PPG has introduced two low-car-bon products, SIGMAFAST 278 coating and SIGMADUR 550H coating.

SIGMAFAST 278 coating has 80-per-
cent solids content and is designed for
steel-structure machinery to provide ef-
fective coating and help reduce produc-
tion costs. SIGMADUR 550H acrylic
polyurethane coating has 68-percent
solids content and can greatly reduce
organic emissions during construction.

When used together, SIGMAFAST 278 and SIGMADUR 550H coatings can optimize the coating process for enhanced steel-structure production efficiency and reduced operational costs.

“Leveraging our expertise in a variety of industrial sectors, as well as our global production and service network, PPG can offer tailored solutions to help customers in the wind power industry maximize power-generation efficiency,” said Mike Horton, president, PPG Asia Pacific, and PPG vice president, protective and marine coatings, Asia Pacific. “We will continue bringing advanced products to the Chinese market in a bid to boost the efficient and sustainable development of the country’s wind power industry.”

USGBC Report Details Extensive Involement of Retail Industry with LEED The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced a new report detailing the extensive involvement of the retail industry with LEED and the impact of the globally recognized green building rating system on retail development and the consumer experience. The release of the LEED in Motion: Retail report was announced at USGBC’s annual Greenbuild Conference and Expo in New Orleans.

The report is the latest in USGBC’s popular LEED in Motion series designed to equip readers with the insight and knowledge to understand LEED and to make the case for sustainable building practices worldwide.

Highlights of the LEED in Motion:
Retail report include:
• USGBC’s conceptualization of the fu-
ture of retail, emphasizing the economic
and social benefit of green building for
retailers of all sizes and types.

• Interviews with industry leaders including Jonathan Balas, senior manager of global sustainability for Yum! Brands and Curt Radkin, senior vice president of corporate properties for Wells Fargo & Company.

•Profiles of site-specific retail projects
including the Destiny USA shopping
complex in Syracuse, the
Nike Store at the Unicenter
in Buenos Aires and the Usce
Shopping Mall in Belgrade.

• Listing of the top 10 U.S. states and the top 10 countries with LEED for Retail certified projects.

The LEED in Motion report outlines the many ways LEED certification delivers a superior consumer experience, including the benefits of circulating fresh air, setting a consistently comfortable temperature and utilizing daylight wherever possible. Additionally, the report shows that 100 percent of those retailers participating in LEED reduced the pollution and land development impact of their buildings by meeting LEED’s sustainable site standard.

The report also includes a foreword from Starbucks, which achieved a milestone this year as it opened its 500th LEED-certified store. Profiles of Target, with 143 LEED-certified stores, and Kohl’s, with 434 LEED-certified stores are also included.

In 2007, USGBC launched a pilot program to specifically address the needs of retailers. Subsequently, the LEED for Retail rating system was formally established in 2010. Some of the prominent adopters of LEED for Retail include Bank of America, Starbucks, Target, Wells Fargo, Walgreens, Nike and Yum! Brands. Additionally, many retailers utilize LEED volume certification, which saves participants time and money as they develop multiple properties with similar attributes – a great fit for big box and chain retailers.

“The holiday season is approaching quickly, a time when retailers go the extra mile to meet consumer demand, not just for products and services but also for an enriching shopping experience and a set of values in line with their own,” said Mahesh Ramanujam, COO, USGBC. “The nearly 8,000 retailers already participating in LEED have a leg-up as they actively address the triple bottom line of people, planet and profit every day.”