passivehouse+ | Issue 2 Volume 1
News
Isover dry lining gets NSAI approval Isover has announced that its Optima system has become the first dry lining system approved by the National Standards Authority of Ireland. Isover said this means it has been "tested and approved to not only improve the thermal and acoustic performance of a building, but it’s unique in that it also takes care of potential moisture issues and helps to reduce thermal bridges normally associated with dry lining". Optima is "a high performance renovation solution for insulating older houses from the inside," the company said. Isover added that Optima had been developed to improve thermal and acoustic performance where cavity wall or external insulation is insufficient, or not an option. The company said that Optima offers a "simple solution for the quarter of a million solid brick houses currently in Ireland, as well as many more cavity wall homes". The average residential home can experience up to 30% heat loss through external walls. Isover Ireland is part of the Saint-Gobain group. The company said that at the "heart of our strategy is the promotion of best practice in renovation solutions and driving building standards improvements".
The company added that it aims to create "healthy buildings and living environments for residential home-owners — warmer, more comfortable homes, acoustically improved and with reduced energy costs." Isover is also offering free training to installers
and contractors on the new Optima dry lining & air tightness solutions at their "state of the art" technical academy in Kingscourt, Co Cavan.
Pictured are: (left to right) NSAI Agrément director Sean Balfe with Gyproc and Isover Ireland MD Brian Dolan
Ashgrove Renewables announce new product range for 2013 Ashgrove Renewables has signed a contract with Swedish heat pump manufacturer Thermia to represent them in Ireland and Northern Ireland. According to Ashgrove, Thermia’s Atec heat pumps have been awarded "best in test" in Scandinavia, giving them the highest annual efficiency of ten air to water heat pumps tested by the Swedish Energy Agency in 2011.
nical studies on completed projects which Murphy said had returned "some very interesting results". The company then presented its findings at a series of free public events. Ashgrove said the findings of their research and consultations led the company to completely revamp its product line to better suit the needs of its customers.
Ashgrove is also planning a series of free nationwide open days for self-builders and homeowners, as well as architects, engineers, plumbers and other members of the trade. "The purpose of these open information days is to dispel some of the ambiguity, myths, and preconceptions about the benefits and pitfalls of renewable energy," said Ashgrove managing director Shane Murphy.
"Last year was a very exciting one and presented many unique opportunities for Ashgrove," Murphy said. “Last year the Heat Pump Association of Ireland confirmed that we supplied 10% of all heat pumps installed in Ireland for 2011." Ashgrove Renewables was established in 1994. The company said that in that time it has been designing, installing, and testing a range of bespoke renewable energy solutions for a wide variety of applications.
He added that the company wants to provide "as much concise information and clarity as possible to a field which has become clouded by bad advice and misinformation." "Most people are confused and worried about what might be the most suitable technology for them and their project," he said. "There’s so
much conflicting information in this industry it’s hard to distinguish good from bad advice." Ashgrove recently completed a number of tech-
(left) The Thermia Atec heat pump, which was awarded “best in test” out of ten air to water heat pumps tested by the Swedish Energy Agency in 2011
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