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ROAD TO ZERO CARBON
The role of insulation Following the publication of the Heat and Buildings Strategy in October and with proposed changes to Approved Document L in England on the horizon, what do local authorities need to think about when it comes to insulation and what is its role on the road to net zero? Paul Barrett, Head of Product Management at ROCKWOOL UK explores. ithout a doubt, heat pumps and the proposed approach to gas boilers grabbed headlines following the publication of the Heat and Buildings Strategy. However, the policy paper released by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy states: ‘Improving the energy efficiency of the fabric of the building, the appliances used, and the heat distribution system will reduce wasted energy and therefore reduce carbon emissions.’ Despite the fabric of a building being first in this list, it could be viewed that a home’s material construction and specifically its insulation have been somewhat overlooked in the narrative. Yet to enable technologies such as heat pumps to have the intended impact on carbon emissions, we must begin with a whole house, fabric first approach for reducing energy usage in the first instance. Or, where new technologies are retrofitted, make sure they are placed within a building fabric that’s highly effective so that their benefits can be realised.
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Starting with the fabric To reduce carbon emissions, reduce energy usage, whilst also reducing energy costs, and maintaining indoor comfort, those responsible for public housing will
The ROCKPANEL cladding façade system and a combination of ROCKWOOL External Wall and Flat Roof insulation products were installed at Portsmouth City Council’s Wilmcote House
need to take the lead on an integrated approach which firmly recognises that the fabric of the building must provide a high standard of insulation which performs consistently and effectively in use. Encouragingly, the proposed legislative changes help drive a fabric first
approach with a focus on build quality. Changes to Approved Document L (ADL) in England act as a stepping-stone to the Future Homes Standard, stating that all new buildings must be designed to produce 31% less carbon emissions than those built to Part L1A (2013)1. Significant
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