Cop a load of the new Building Regulations to stop buildings overheating

By Andrew Cooper – Managing Director – Smartlouvre

 

It may be hard to believe that the ‘sustainability’ concept as it’s known today is less than 30 years old: it appeared for the first time in 1987.

Climate change (or global warming) conversely was first recognised as an issue more than 100 years ago. We can berate ourselves for the irresponsible damage we caused in the first 70 years, or we can focus on what we can do now.

The impact human activity has on the environment is now a big part of our children’s’ education, our day-to-day lives and is a global concern. In an overpopulated world where resources are exploited, the planet has no time to regenerate so we are finally changing our ways.

The construction industry was identified as one of the worst culprits many years ago, and the spotlight has been upon it ever since; house builders seem to be getting squeezed the most. Despite more than 2.2 million new residential buildings being built in England since 2010, we’re not yet achieving the 300,000 per year target, and some argue that we would actually need to build 340,000 each year to catch up with the current level of demand. Our overpopulation needs addressing fast with more new homes. The problem is that we’re constantly being bombarded with new building regulations, new rules and new guidance that we very quickly need to adopt in order to keep moving forward towards the (moving) targets.

The latest update to building regs, specifically focused on the residential sector is Approved Document O: Overheating. The goals of this new regulation are to stop us from cooking in our homes, to stop us simply cranking up the air-con as the planet heats up, and to stop us burning up energy with fans and air conditioning which draw us further away from net zero.

So, what does AD O say? Fundamentally, it restricts the areas of glass you’re allowed to have unless important criteria are met. Do we really have to live in the dark to be cool and kinder to the planet? Will we be facing the prospect of living in the dark like they did when the window tax was introduced in 1696? No, it’s not all doom and gloom (literally).

Shutters, external blinds, overhangs, awnings and of course, solar control glass are the suggested solutions, but they are in the most, designed to block natural, unfiltered daylight and in some cases, our vision out.

Under Document O shading also has to be ‘Fixed’ and ‘Passive’, so no moving or so-called dynamic systems are allowed. This is a no-brainer in terms of sustainability since dynamic systems need energy to or human intervention to operate and are therefore under a limited life cycle before maintenance or replacement is required. Furthermore, when they’re down they block your vision out and if it’s even vaguely windy they have to retract.

So, these fixed, passive shading options won’t damage the environment once in place, but we should still, as responsible constructors, consider the ‘cost’ of manufacturing them? What is the number one solution when it comes to keeping buildings cool, whilst limiting the impact on the environment? What we are comparing in terms of Approved Document O compliant shading products simply comes down to the materials they’re constructed from: metal, plastic, acrylic, vinyl or glass.

Metal is the stand-out winner, and of the metals, copper is the most sustainable and environmentally friendly. It’s also handily thermally conductive, so if we’re using it to protect us from the sun’s heat, it’s doing half the job for us.

 

CLICK HERE NOW to find out more

 

/0 Comments/by
,

How sustainable is your supply chain?

Inflation and disruption is putting massive pressure on the construction supply chain. That can’t be at the expense of supply chain integrity. We report.

A study published by the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS) found that 48% of supply chain managers did not believe their organisations were transparent enough with clients and regulators about sustainability.

A further 19% admitted not even knowing how sustainable their products were themselves, despite marketing claims about commitments made to sustainability.

The CIPS suggested a lack of procurement involvement in setting corporate sustainability strategy in the UK is at least partly to blame.
Much of the UK’s carbon footprint is generated abroad, several tiers down the supply chain in the extraction of raw materials, manufacturing of products and transportation. It argues the procurement function has a crucial role in understanding, measuring, and addressing the sustainability of this supply chain.

“If you don’t know where something is coming from then you run the risk of making claims which aren’t true”, says John Duckworth, Head of Commercial Sales, Deceuninck.
“Whether that’s intentionally or unintentionally greenwash is something contractors need to be very careful to avoid – that includes throughout their supply chain”, he continues.

He argues the launch of the Green Claims Code by the Competitions and Market Authority at COP26 last year is a precursor to more aggressive prosecutions for false or unfounded claims on sustainability.  This is based on existing law but makes it clear that firms making green claims “must not omit or hide important information” and “must consider the full life cycle of the product”.

 

 

“This is one of the points that is always a bone of contention for us as a PVC-U window and door systems company”, continues John.
“There’s no point us pretending to be something we’re not. PVC-U windows are essentially manufactured from a polymer made from hydrocarbons – oil – and chlorine derived from salt. There’s a lot of the latter about, less of the former.  “If we’re going to use oil as a finite resource, surely it makes more sense to put it into a high value and infinitely recyclable product, than to burn it in heating and our cars, especially when those products deliver significant through life energy savings.  “That’s a sustainable way forward – recycling something, over and over. It’s not only about renewables.”

 

 

Deceuninck has invested more the €15million in one of the world’s most advanced PVC-U recycling and compounding facilities.
This gives it the capability to reprocess up to 45,000 tonnes of post-consumer and post-manufacturing PVC-U per year – the equivalent of preventing 3million windows from going to landfill annually.

Use of recycled material also delivering a reduction in CO2 emissions of 90,000 tonnes compared to virgin feedstocks as well as a 90% energy saving.
The focus the PVC-U building products industry has applied to sustainability, supporting its BRE Green Guide A+ rating.
“The PVC-U supply chain is comparatively short and most importantly, it’s transparent”, John continues. “Critically, it is recyclable. Each window can be recycled up to 10 times without degradation of performance.

“Given an average reference service life of around 35 years for each window, it means that the raw materials used in each product could still be making homes warmer and more energy efficient 350 years from now – as long as they are recovered and recycled.”

This is something the PVC-U industry has committed to drive forward. Deceuninck is one of a number of leading PVC-U window and door systems companies to have signed up to Vinyplus, a voluntary 10-year commitment to drive a circular economy in PVC-U manufacture.

 

 

“We know through figures from Vinylplus that collectively the industry has recycled more than 6.5million tonnes of PVC-U since 2000. That’s roughly 27.5% of the PVC-U ‘waste’ material that we could recycle, so we have more to do, but it is nonetheless a very significant figure.
“We expect the inflationary pressure that we’re now seeing on oil prices, to drive higher rates of recycling across Europe”, John said.

Deceuninck offers an extensive commercial window and door range, working with commercial window and door manufacturers specialising in modular builds as well as other specialisms including steel-frame construction.

Its’ flagship commercial system is the 5000 series, which extends the design potential of PVC-U using patented glass fibre technology, removing the requirement for steel reinforcement, increasing thermal efficiency and reducing weight.

Available in Standard, Slim and the ultra-energy efficient Neo option, as a leading edge, tilt-and-turn window it achieves U-values of as low as 0.84W/m2K, air permeability is 600Pa, watertightness of up to 600Pa and wind resistance is 2000 Pa.

“It’s about the circular economy. Creating next generation products from old ones which deliver a better level of performance through-life and which are being and can be recycled more easily at end-of life”, John argues.

Its own research also evidences just how important sustainability is to end-users with more than two-thirds of end-users (68%) stating that they would choose windows and doors with a higher recycled content over and above products that don’t contain recycled content, or which did so at lower levels.
The independent survey conducted by YouGov during COP26, also found that 63% of homeowners said that they would be more likely to purchase home improvements which they saw as being more ‘sustainable’. Of these, 38% would be prepared to pay more for home improvement products that had higher recycled content and reduced impact on the environment.

“PVC-U is energy efficient, it’s low maintenance, recyclable and far easier to be recycled than many other products which are seen to be sustainable – for example timber.

“What we have to do is get better at capturing that material and that requires a change in the way that we see it and in the way that specifications are drawn up to increase focus on not only whole-life costs but also end of product life and a circular value chain.”

For more information about Deceuninck’s product and service offer

please call 01249 816 969 or email deceuninck.ltd@deceuninck.com

 

CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE WEBSITE

/0 Comments/by
,

Eurocell’s sustainability vision

The construction industry is under pressure to use more sustainable building methods and product choices. When it comes to also addressing the additional challenges of offsite and modular construction, PVC-U can be part of the solution as the sector starts to prepare for the impact of the Future Homes Standard (FHS) in three years’ time, says Martin Benn, Head of New Build at Eurocell.

Eurocell is working hard to extend sustainable product options for the construction industry   through market-leading PVC-U recycling and manufacturing processes. This commitment is helping to reduce the volumes of plastic waste heading for landfill and tackle the problem of carbon reduction. The company offers an extensive range of high performing PVC-U window and door solutions that not only look good, but also help organisations underpin their sustainability objectives.

The nation’s housing stock is viewed by national policy makers as a key component of the long-term ambition to deliver a low carbon future.
COP26 outlined the perils of the impending climate crisis and government moves such as the changes to Part L of the Building Regulations are designed to ensure that we start building more energy efficient, low carbon, sustainable homes. As an interim measure before the full force of the Future Homes Standard becomes a reality in three years’ time, the immediate objective is to direct the construction of new homes so that they produce 31% lower carbon emissions.
According to the Climate Change Committee, the built environment accounts for around 40% of UK greenhouse gas emissions, with approximately 14% of this coming from the 28 million homes in the UK. This puts the future construction of sustainable new homes front and centre in the challenge to ensure we collectively achieve on our future low carbon aspirations.

PVC-U is already playing its part in helping to meet important environmental and regulatory obligations. Set against other potential product choices such as aluminium or timber composite for windows and doors, PVC-U offers long-term durability and high performance, attractive aesthetics to support design visions, cost effective value and, through Eurocell’s vision and industry leading recycling processes, a truly sustainable product solution.
The sustainable choice

To further substantiate the sustainability credentials of PVC-U, the Faculty of Science and Engineering at Manchester Metropolitan University has reviewed an array of data sets and modelling emanating from peer-reviewed publications. This has established a life cycle assessment of the use of recycled PVC-U window frames within Eurocell’s manufacturing operations.

For example, a typical semi-detached house comprising seven windows and a pair of French doors will see an average weight of post-consumer PVC-U within the eight products plus cavity closure of 122kg. Therefore, a development constructing on average 2500 units of semi-detached houses will save around 627 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year by specifying recycled Eurocell windows and cavity closures over a competitor who is using full virgin PVC-U windows.

Eurocell-Recycle – leading the way

Eurocell has, for the past two decades, been a strong and industry-leading advocate of the wider benefits that recycling can deliver. Its recycling service allows the company to meet two primary objectives: it prevents the requirement for clients to send discarded plastic window and door frame waste to landfill and, secondly, it enables Eurocell to recycle the old plastic window and door frame waste into new PVC-U extrusions used to create the range of products demanded by the trade and consumers.

Two busy waste plastic recycling plants drive the Eurocell-Recycle service, and their combined efforts is delivering tangible benefit.
Based on a ‘closed loop’ recycling system that deals with both post-consumer and post-industrial plastic window waste, the plants are responsible for processing over 40,000 tonnes of plastic window and door frame waste per year – a figure that has been steadily rising as demand for recycled product solutions has grown in recent years.

The closed loop system is a six-stage recycling process. Old and discarded plastic windows, door frames and other plastic offcuts are collected by Eurocell’s fleet from company sites and waste management centres across the UK. On arrival, the material is sorted and separated to divide metals, white polymer, and coloured materials, as well as capturing material which is non-recyclable.
After a transformative process which creates a powder or pellet form, the recycled plastic is used together with virgin PVC-U material by Eurocell to manufacture its extensive range of extruded plastic products.

Recycled PVC-U product choices can support future sustainability ambitions for the construction industry. The challenging targets set by Part L and FHS as we enter a transformative period for the sector, means that the spotlight will remain firmly on those charged with making the sustainability product calls needed if net zero by 2050 is to be achieved.

For more information about Eurocell’s range of PVC-U solutions

and its commitment to a sustainable future, CLICK HERE

/0 Comments/by

If I achieve good Airtightness levels, will I need MVHR?

By Iain Fairnington – Technical Director, A.Proctor Group Ltd

This is an increasing question as to whether you require MVHR if your building is airtight. In a word, No, but it can be advantageous and to use a Technical phrase ‘it depends’!!

The levels of airtightness in UK construction regulations is constantly being lowered, arguably too slowly. Many people are now understanding that good levels of airtightness is a thermal improvement method, but are there knock on effects?
Iain Fairnington, Technical Director at the A. Proctor Group sits on BS 5250 committee which deals with Moisture Management and explained that the committee generally agree that the easiest way to avoid moisture build up is to put the heating up and open the windows. This allows any moisture to escape and avoids cold spots – Simple but not environmentally friendly. So, we need to look at how we manage the balance of Heat, Air and Moisture Movement.
When you have high levels of airtightness installation (low level airtightness) then this could lead to stale moist air being trapped inside a building, almost to “sweat” levels if the heating is not controlled. By introducing ventilation this moves the air out and replaces it with fresh air. Is this throwing out the baby with the bathwater when you have paid to heat that air and you are letting that warm air to escape while bringing in cooler air that needs heated up?

There are various ways to look at this including-

No ventilation system – here the airtightness is above 3 generally and only reliance is on trickle passive ventilation and mechanical ventilation in kitchens and bathrooms

MEV– Mechanical extract Ventilation- Here the ventilation system extracts moisture from areas such as kitchens, bathrooms, shower rooms etc., to the outside

MVHR– Mechanical Ventilation with Heat recovery- Here the air is extracted and any heat from this air is recovered

All have pros and cons and the ultimate decision will depend on a number of issues such as the need to filter air/reduce energy consumption or budget.
There is an old saying of “Build tight/ventilate right” which explains a lot in terms of the balance of getting this right. A self-build project may prefer to have an MVHR system and the owners be happy to change the filters every 6 moths or so, however a developer may not want to put this on the owner so may choose MEV. The MEV can be quieter and runs at a low pressure. The MEV can also be cheaper to install as not as much pipework is required.

 

Which ever system is chosen by the architect/developer or home owner, there is no need to be scared of airtightness levels being to low. There are solutions to ensure the building is healthy and efficient.

At the A Proctor Group we support the fabric first philosophy. We provide many solutions to build in energy efficiency and the moisture management. This can be seen in our Reflective membranes both external (Reflectashield TF) and internal (Reflectatherm) as well as our Wraptite which is an airtight vapour permeable externally applied self-adhered membrane for both walls and roofs. The Group supply high performance thin insulation systems for walls , floors and roofs which can also be used to reduce cold bridging in critical areas.

As with all decisions in life, it is all a balance of what’s important to you and others.

www.proctorgroup.com

/0 Comments/by

BP: Backing Britain with £18b Investment in Energy

BP intends to invest up to £18 billion in the UK’s energy system by the end of 2030, demonstrating its firm commitment to the UK, and helping the country to deliver on its bold ambitions to boost energy security and reach net zero. As one of the largest oil and gas producers in the UK, BP intends to continue investing in North Sea oil and gas, while driving down operational emissions. It is also in action on a range of lower-carbon energy investments in the UK, which are expected to bring jobs and develop new skills and capabilities.

Bernard Looney, CEO, BP, said: “We’re backing Britain. It’s been our home for over 110 years, and we’ve been investing in North Sea oil and gas for more than 50 years. We’re fully committed to the UK’s energy transition – providing reliable home-grown energy and, at the same time, focusing on the drive to net zero. And we have ambitious plans to do more and to go faster. Our plans go beyond just infrastructure – they see us supporting the economy, skills development and job opportunities in the communities where we operate. We are all in.”

These projected investment figures are in addition to the company’s significant operating spend in the UK. In 2019, prior to the pandemic, an estimated 0.5% of UK GDP was supported by its activities. BP also anticipates paying up to £1 billion in taxes for its 2022 North Sea profits, on top of around £0.25 billion that it has paid annually in other taxes in the UK in recent years.

The UK projects in which BP is looking to invest – and the wider activities supporting them – include:

North sea

Developing lower emission oil and gas projects to support near-term security of supply, for example, at the Murlach, Kate and Mungo fields around the BP-operated ETAP hub in the central North Sea and the Clair and Schiehallion fields West of Shetland; investing in exploration around its existing North Sea hubs; progressing asset electrification projects in the Central North Sea and West of Shetland to further reduce operational emissions and supporting the North Sea Transition Deal.

Offshore wind

In partnership with EnBW: developer of two 60-year offshore wind leases in the Irish Sea (combined potential generating capacity of 3GW); developer of a lease option (potential generating capacity of 2.9 GW) off the east coast of Scotland in the ScotWind round. Together, these three areas could generate enough energy to power over six million UK homes every year.

Additionally: investing in infrastructure, ports, harbours, and shipyards, including the construction of four ships to support the offshore wind projects across the UK, subject to technical and commercial due diligence. These new-builds are anticipated to involve an investment of more than £100 million and would be expected to support 500 associated jobs; committing more than £1 million, as part of the successful ScotWind bid with EnBW, to X-Academy in Scotland in a five-year deal, supporting both reskilling experienced workers and the creation of entry-level energy transition roles; making Aberdeen bp’s global operations and maintenance centre of excellence for offshore wind and creating up to 120 new direct jobs.

EV charging

Planning to invest £1 billion in electric vehicle charging in the UK over the next 10 years – BP’s largest-ever EV charging expansion – approximately tripling the number of bp’s UK charging points by 2030 and deploying more rapid and ultra-fast chargers in key locations. The investment is expected to support hundreds of new jobs in the UK.

Hydrogen

Planning to create two large-scale hydrogen production facilities: H2 Teesside (blue), and HyGreen Teesside (green). Together, these facilities are aiming to produce 1.5 GW of hydrogen by 2030 – 15% of the UK government’s 10 GW target by 2030. H2 Teesside could create more than 600 operational jobs and another 1200 construction jobs by 2027. BP has also signed an agreement with Redcar & Cleveland College in Redcar, Teesside, to support green skills and education initiatives on Teesside.

CCS

Leading the Northern Endurance Partnership, to serve the East Coast Cluster (ECC). The ECC has recently been named as one of the UK’s first CCS projects and aims to remove nearly 50% of all UK industrial cluster CO2 emissions. Leading Net Zero Teesside Power (NZT Power) which could be the world’s first commercial-scale, gas-fired power station with carbon capture – with the ‎potential to deliver enough low-carbon, flexible electricity to power around 1.3 million homes. NZT Power could support more than 3000 jobs during construction and over 1000 jobs once operations begin.

Aberdeen

Working with Aberdeen City Council in a joint venture (JV) to deliver a scalable green hydrogen production, storage and distribution facility powered by renewable energy; partnering with the local authority to support their ambition for Aberdeen to become a climate positive city; working with the Port of Aberdeen on decarbonisation projects.

Source: Hydrocarbon Engineering

/0 Comments/by

3 Billion Homes needed in Columbia, 3D rises to the Challenge

Photo Credits: Conconcreto

3D Printing is Being Adopted in

Colombia for Construction

In Latin America, additive manufacturing is still only in the process of being adopted. However, we are seeing gradual growth, which can at least be partly attributed to the creation in 2018 of the first Additive Manufacturing Consortium in Latin America (CONMAD). Specifically in Colombia, 3D printing is gradually making inroads in different areas and application sectors. If we focus on construction, it is clear that the sector’s productivity in the country was stagnant for decades due to resistance to change. Recently, however, it has been undergoing a series of transformations that are based on technological innovations in order to speed up processes, increase productivity and reduce final times and costs. And in this evolution, additive manufacturing is playing a key role.

In terms of techniques used, the BIM (Building Information Modeling) methodology is a safe bet in the construction field. However, this is not the only method that is gaining ground. Daniel Castro-Lacouture, professor and former director of the School of Building Construction, says that the adoption of BIM must be accompanied by other supplementary techniques, such as 3D printing, helping to reduce the construction process as well as the risk of accidents. And not only as a complementary method, but additive manufacturing by itself has a promising future in the construction sector in Colombia. Castro also explains that the adoption of new technologies such as 3D printing requires great resources and experience in Colombia, so it is the right time to formulate strategies according to the challenges of sustainability and competitiveness.

Colombia and Concrete 3D Printing

The use of 3D printing of concrete for construction in Colombia could provide a solution to the housing crisis. According to UN Habitat, by 2030 more than 3 billion people will need access to housing, basic infrastructure and water and sanitation systems. With this forecast, additive manufacturing would enable complex structures to be built with less waste of materials and better construction times. The first steps in this field are being taken by Conconcreto, a Colombian construction firm that developed the first large-format 3D printer in the region. Its main objective is to create social housing on a massive scale and at an affordable cost for a larger number of people.

 

The advantages offered by technology have also been clearly demonstrated with the Casa Origami project. This is a 23-square-meter housing module of that was manufactured in the city of Medellin in just 27 hours. Thanks to this method, the standardization of the printing process of elements and their applications to the prototype of a habitable house was achieved, focusing on sustainability components such as energy consumption and architectural aspects.

 

 

Industry 4.0 has managed to give a different added value to the Colombian construction sector thanks to automation and digitalization. Although historically it has been slow to take on the transformation and productivity of its activity, the sector is booming thanks to new methods and technologies.

 

Source: 3D Natives

/0 Comments/by