Though the summer brought about many things on the positive front, EIMA also received news that a close colleague and advocate for Continuous Insulation and higher efficiency buildings has temporarily left his position at the Department of Energy 
(DOE) to fill a staff position at the International Energy Agency in Paris. As many of you know, Marc LaFrance, who is in charge of emerging technologies at DOE, aided the EIFS industry by encouraging practical research on our exterior wall cladding system by the DOE Oak Ridge National Laboratory. This research, which is in the very final stages of completion, has validated that EIFS are the “best performing cladding” in relation to thermal and moisture control when compared to brick, stucco, and cementitious fiberboard siding.
As you may recall LaFrance was featured in the Sto Corp. newsletter in the spring of 2010, entitled “BEC Focus: RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT, More Attention—and Dollars—for Efficient Building Enclosures”. In the article he writes:
The ORNL study helps demonstrate the value of the next generation of moisture-tolerant and energy-efficient EIFS wall systems, which will bring all of us closer to the goal of 100% zero-energy buildings. This will require working closely with manufacturers of EIFS, including Sto Corp., BASF, Dryvit and the others. Even on a global scale, we see EIFS as a global solution for the entire world.
EIMA representatives stayed in close contact with LaFrance while he was serving the DOE, and wish him the best of luck in his role with the IEA.