ADF07_22-30 7/30/08 10:34 AM Page 22
Forgetting The Basics
Chris Hall, Marketing & Sales Director of Recticel Insulation Products,
looks at the issue of performance of insulation products.
s the debate about climate stock remains outstanding, and there has been
A
change rages and becomes less than adequate assessment of whether the
increasingly polarised and amendments to the Building Regulations have
politicised, the need for energy been successful.
efficiency of buildings has been In the past year there have been noticeable
emphasised as the global cost of energy failings. Perhaps the most dramatic example
continues its upward climb. This is an issue being that of the Dunham Massey estate in
which is not polarised. While the jury is still Cheshire. 700 new homes, which were
debating whether or not human CO2 emissions constructed to use 60% less energy, were found
are leading to climate change, nobody can to have considerable problems with thermal
deny that energy costs are soaring. leakage. Thermal bridging around windows and
The Government is tackling these issues on failure of cavity wall insulation were dramatically
several fronts. Recent attempts to increase revealed by the use of thermographics.
domestic fuel production and the move towards This example suggests a possible major,
an increase in nuclear power production are widespread failure of the amended Part L of the
attempts to address the immediate issue of Building Regulations. If the same failings are
supply. Meanwhile, development of alternative occurring across the majority of new
large scale energy sources such as wind and developments, not only are we failing to deal
tidal are an attempt to change the culture of with energy efficiency going forward, but we are
energy supply. effectively doing no more than adding to the
On a smaller scale, the encouragement of inefficient existing stock.
microgeneration technologies, such as Unfortunately, due to the current media
photovoltaics, ground source heat pumps and obsession with energy supply, this potentially
domestic wind turbines suggest ways in which disastrous scenario is going largely
properties can become less reliant to national under-reported. As a consequence the
and international energy supplies, to become problem is not being adequately addressed.
more self-sufficient. The reality is; that in an ideal scenario,
All of the above makes great news and carefully designed buildings constructed with
encourages debate, sometimes quite aggressive high performing, well installed insulation,
debate. Nuclear power has always been should not need energy to heat or cool them.
contentious. Recently results from a Scottish If this were the case, simple microgeneration
Government consultation paper suggest that technologies such as ground source heat
alternative energy production technologies such pumps, photovoltaics and domestic wind
as wind farms could be causing ‘significant generation would be far more valuable and
environmental effects on wildlife’.
Meanwhile, photovoltaics are
increasingly being criticised for not
delivering results.
However, while the issue of energy
supply continues to dominate the
media, the somewhat less
contentious issue of energy
conservation is suffering from a lack
of attention. would deliver a greater percentage of a
In the run up to the 2006 changes building’s energy needs. However, if the
to the Building Regulations, insulation insulation is failing, as it appears may be
and energy efficiency of buildings the case with many new developments,
was at the top of the sustainability then the contribution of microgeneration
agenda. The changes were widely technologies becomes wasted and
welcomed and the construction the reliance on a wider energy
industry seemed only to happy to supply continues.
adapt. However, once the new At the heart of the problem is a ‘tickbox’
amends to the Building Regulations approach to compliance with building
came into force, focus shifted rapidly regulations. Ever conscious of cost, there is
away. The consensus was that the a tendency to do only the minimum which
Government and the construction is required to achieve compliance.
industry had smartly and efficiently This would be fine if it could be guaranteed
dealt with the issue of energy that the installed components were
efficiency of buildings going forward. correctly installed and performed as
The job had been done. expected, but when you are working so
Of course the job has been far from close to the lowest specification, any failure
completed. The issue of the existing will take you below that specification.
22 See inside back cover for Reader Enquiry Card or go online: www.adfonline.eu
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