INSULATION


With energy costs rising, passive measures such as building


services insulation need to be taken full advantage of. With the British Standards Institute


currently working on an update to BS 5422, Kingspan Technical Insulation explains what this is, the requirements and more...


E


nsuring building services operate efficiently has never been so important, with energy


costs rising to eye-watering levels and planned regulations set to limit the energy usage from leasable buildings. These issues make it essential to ensure buildings take full advantage of passive measures, such as building services insulation, to effectively limit long-term demand. The British Standards Institute (BSI) is currently working on an update to BS 5422, providing updated best practice guidance on the minimum insulation required for a range of pipe and ductwork systems.


BS 5422 BS 5422 covers insulation applications on pipes, tanks, vessels, ductwork and other equipment operating at temperatures between -40˚C to +700˚C. The document provides best practice guidance covering a range of issues around insulating building services including addressing condensation and fire risk. The core of the document, however, is a range of tables which provide minimum insulation thicknesses for a range of different systems and scenarios. The existing standard was introduced back in 2009, with the updated version expected to be published by the end of 2022. BS 5422 offers minimum or indicative thickness


for a wide range of different systems based on factors such as operating temperatures, ambient air humidity and the dimensions, location and orientation of services. The thickness of insulation that is required will change based on


NEW PIPE AND DUCTWORK INSULATION REQUIREMENTS


its lambda values (also known as its thermal conductivity). The lower the lambda value of an insulation material, the more effective it is at preventing heat loss. This means it may be possible to fit a slimmer thickness of insulation without compromising on thermal performance. In practice, there can be a good deal of variance


in the thermal performance of materials used for lagging pipe and ductwork. For example, phenolic pipe insulation products can achieve aged thermal conductivities as low as 0.025 W/mK. By contrast, mineral fibre lagging typically only achieve thermal conductivities of 0.033 W/mK or worse. This can have a significant impact on the thickness of insulation which is needed and knock-on effects to other aspects of the build such as the space that is required for building services, and the ease of installation if carried out onsite. All pipe insulation products should be supplied


with clear information about their thermal conductivity. This value will be affected by the mean temperature of the insulation. To find the correct mean insulation temperature for an application, you add the operating temperature of the system to the ambient temperature and then divide this value by two; this produces a curved graph.


EXPECTED UPDATES TO BS 5422 At the time of writing, the updated version of BS 5422 is currently undergoing comment resolution by the BSI working group ahead of publication likely later this year. However, we can get a sense of the intended direction of travel from the public consultation draft which was published earlier this year. The revised document will include


Kingspan Kooltherm Pipe Insulation features a premium performance phenolic insulation core, providing one of the thinnest and most thermally efficient pipework solutions


www.energymanagementmag.co.uk


some general housekeeping including removing older/inapplicable tables,


improving system definitions and ensuring all references to the old


national classifications for reaction to fire (Class O etc.) are removed and replaced with the European classifications. More notably it is expected that a table will be


added with clear recommendations for secondary pipework for district heating/heat network systems. This is set to be developed based on recommendations currently in force in Sweden, where use of these networks is more commonplace. Additionally, along with updated minimum


insulation requirements, it is expected that new enhanced requirements will also be introduced for heating and hot water systems. These are likely to be based on the ECA Enhanced tables of NES Y50 which were used as part of the Energy Technology List scheme. These set more demanding maximum heat loss targets – helping to raise the overall energy performance of the building. For example, under the existing version of BS


5422, the maximum heat loss from 22.1mm diameter steel pipework on a low temperature heating water system (≤ 95°C) is 9.28 W/m. In contrast for the same system under the NES Y50 tables, max heat loss is set at 8.42 W/m. This can notably impact the thickness of pipe insulation that is required – particularly where less thermally efficient insulants, such as mineral fibre, are used.


CUTTING LOSSES With energy prices set to remain high for the foreseeable future, delivering excellent levels of performance will be a key priority for both new and existing buildings. The enhanced specifications expected as part of the revised BS 5422 will provide a helpful starting point for all specifiers, allowing owners to realise significant energy and cost savings.


Kingspan Technical Insulation T: 01457 890 400 www.kingspantechnicalinsulation.co.uk


Pipeline Technical Advisory Service T: 0808 168 7363


ENERGY MANAGEMENT - Autumn 2022 27


The pre-insulated Kingspan KoolDuct System provides an advanced, lightweight, solution for ventilation applications


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