INSULATING YOUR HOUSE E-Book

Andy McCrea

• Herausgeber: Crowood
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2012

Beschreibung

Our dependence on fossil fuels is at an all-time high and for economic and environmental reasons it is vitally important that we save energy and reduce our carbon footprint. This book is essential reading for all those homeowners who wish to insulate their properties effectively in order to save energy, permanently reduce fuel bills and increase the comfort of their homes. The author emphasizes the 'do-it-yourself' elements of house insulation and provides readers with information to take the practical steps that will make them significant financial savings. In this book, the author: demonstrates the opportunities for real financial savings that insulation can provide year on year; emphasizes why insulation is such a good idea and discusses the main areas of the house that lose heat, concentrating on the building fabric; describes the tools, special clothing, materials and techniques that are required for DIY house insulation; explains why refurbishments, repairs or extensions all offer the opportunity to introduce insulation into your home; examines the Building Regulations, which set the quality, best practice and safety standards for home improvements and construction work; reviews the range of insulation materials that can be used, from natural substances such as hemp and sheep's wool, to mineral insulation such as glass wool, polystyrene and phenolic foam; considers the DIY opportunities to reduce the heat lost through external walls and through floors and roofs; demonstrates how heat is lost through draughts and ventilation and suggests some DIY jobs to minimize this; discusses energy-efficient glazing and potential savings by installing double and triple, gas-filled, high-efficiency glazing systems.

Leseprobe

INSULATING YOUR HOUSE

A DIY GUIDE

Andy McCrea

Copyright

First published in 2011 by The Crowood Press Ltd, Ramsbury, Marlborough, Wiltshire, SN8 2HR

www.crowood.com

This e-book edition first published in 2013

© Andy McCrea 2011

All rights reserved. This e-book is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights, and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

ISBN 978 1 84797 443 3

Disclaimer The author and the publisher do not accept responsibility, or liability, in any manner whatsoever for any error or omission, nor any loss, damage, injury, or adverse outcome of any kind incurred as a result of the use of the information contained in this e-book, or reliance upon it. Readers are advised to seek professional energy efficiency advice relating to their particular property, project and circumstances before embarking on any building or related work

Unless otherwise stated, all photographs and drawings are by the author.

Contents

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication andAcknowledgements

1 Insulation – Why is it such a Good Idea?

2 Heat Loss in Buildings

3 The Building Regulations

4 Insulating Materials

5 Reducing Heat Loss through External Walls

6 Reducing Heat Loss through Floors

7 Insulating Lofts and Roofs

8 Preventing Heat Loss by Reducing and Eliminating Draughts

9 Energy-Efficient Glazing

10 Insulating Tanks, Pipework and Installing Radiator Foil

11 Tools and Equipment, Protective Clothing and Safety

Appendix I Guidance on the Specification and Installation of Insulation and Energy-Efficiency Products and Equipment

Appendix II Relevant Legislation

Contacts and Links

Glossary

Index

Dedication

To my wife, Shirley, without whom this would not have been possible.

Acknowledgements

Thanks are due to my many colleagues, industry associates and organizations who offered advice, images and information used throughout this book. The captions associated with the figures and images detail the name/type of the product/system/service and the name of the company which manufactures/supplies or operates it, where appropriate. Acknowledgements are also made throughout the text, where pertinent, to other sources from which images and information have been adapted or taken. Details of relevant organizations and companies are given on pp.181–183.

CHAPTER 1

Insulation – Why is it such a Good Idea?

Fitting insulation to a home will reduce fuel bills and increase comfort year on year, over the lifetime of the property. For the environmentally aware, fitting insulation is an excellent way to reduce your carbon footprint.

PURPOSE OF THIS BOOK

The costs of owning and living or working in a building are increasing steadily and one of the main contributory factors is energy bills. Fuel costs are rising and the reality is that most buildings waste energy needlessly. Undertaking a range of no-cost and low-cost measures, such as fitting insulation, can reduce this waste and provide significant savings in energy bills. Fitting insulation will also increase the comfort levels of a home, making it warmer and draught-free. As an additional benefit, reducing energy consumption will also result in lower emissions of harmful gases, such as carbon dioxide, into the environment.

Table 1: Approximate costs and savings from installing a range of energy-efficient measures in the home. * If installed at the same time as laying a new solid floor. ** Based on a range of factors, including style of frames and glazing.Note: These figures are for guidance only; obviously, costs and savings will be hugely dependent on individual properties. They are based on Energy Saving Trust information where available at the time of writing.

The aim of this book is to bring a greater insight to people who want to know more about insulating their home and to give them the information that will allow them to make cost savings by taking practical steps to do the work. Many of the jobs can be tackled easily through DIY and, with the reasonably modest costs involved, the savings in money (and emissions) can be very significant over the lifetime of the building.

Simple No-Cost or Low-Cost DIY Energy-Saving Hints

Close your curtains at night to keep in the heat.Never leave hot water running.Defrost fridges and freezers regularly and never leave the fridge door open.Use the shower if you have one, rather than the bath.Only heat as much water as you need when boiling the kettle (but always make sure to cover the element of an electric kettle).Turn off lights when they are not required.Place tape over keyholes in external doors to prevent draughts.Never leave mobile phones on charge overnight.Make sure computer equipment is completely switched off and plugged out when not in use.Electrical appliances on standby could be costing you up to £99 per annum – switch off!Steamer pots reduce heat usage.Use ‘task’ lighting rather than whole-room lighting when only a small amount of light is required.Do not put warm or hot food straight into the fridge or freezer – let it cool down first.Put lids on pots and turn down the heat when the water starts to boil. The lids not only keep heat in the pot but also reduce condensation in the kitchen.The oven is expensive to use – try to use it as sparingly and as efficiently as possible. Where possible, use it for more than just one item and remember you can cook at a higher temperature at the top of the oven, and simultaneously at a lower temperature at the bottom.Do not open the oven door to check cooking – every time you do so you lose 20 per cent of the heat.

The emphasis in this book is on the DIY aspect of insulating a home and, in recent years, this type of work has been encouraged by government support, both through a variety of grant programmes and through awareness-raising activities by various organizations. With reasonable care and attention to health and safety precautions, in most cases insulation materials and products can be simply and effectively installed in the home. It is essential, however, to stress the importance of using the proper tools and equipment, protective clothing and the correct products for the application. When planning work around the home, the Building Regulations are a good place to start. A number of planned revisions will bring forward significant improvements in the standard of insulation for new buildings, but the challenge of improving the existing housing stock remains. This book has a role for homeowners who want to improve the insulation of their existing houses and buildings through DIY, as well as for those who are thinking of building an extension, roof-space conversion or even a new home.

The Living Planet Report of the World Wildlife Fund. (wwf.org.uk)

There is also a good deal of interest, fuelled by the media (and with regards to the weather), in the subject of climate change and many people want to know how they can do their bit to reduce their carbon footprint. According to the World Wildlife Fund, the planet’s resources are being used at a rate that would need three Earths to sustain:

In the UK we are currently living a ‘three-planet lifestyle’ and the report indicates that the world’s ecological footprint – the demand people place upon the natural world – has more than tripled since 1961 and that rising carbon dioxide emissions are the biggest cause of our ecological impact on the planet. (Source: WWF’s ‘Living Planet’ report 2006).

The insulation materials and products necessary to carry out the jobs described in this book are widely available. They are also affordable and their proper application and installation in the home, or in businesses, will deliver effective savings in fuel and electricity bills for many years to come.

House with solid external walls (no cavity).

THE SHAPING OF THE MODERN HOME

Until the 1960s most dwellings and buildings in the United Kingdom (UK) and the Republic of Ireland (RoI) had very little insulation, if any at all. There was a pressing need to build homes for the ‘post-war boom’ families and the standard of the fabric used for those houses came second. Houses did not have cavity walls as standard until the 1930s and the normal building method involved solid, outer-wall construction.

Homes were traditionally heated by an open-hearth coal fire, which could also be used to burn a variety of other fuels, including peat or wood. Some houses, even relatively modest ones, had two or more fireplaces. After the post-war austerity of the 1950s and early 1960s, central-heating systems began to appear in newer homes and by the end of 1960s they were almost de rigueur. A new house constructed in the 1970s would probably include an open fire, a central-heating system, fuelled with heating oil, gas or coal, and cavity-spaced external walls.

Victorian terraced houses from early 1890s. These houses are being lived in well over a hundred years after they were built.

The ‘price hikes’ or sudden upward surges in the cost of fuel oil in the 1970s, and again in the 1980s, brought into sharp focus the reality that fossil fuels were a depleting, polluting source of energy and that their price was likely to remain highly volatile for some considerable time. The issue of the security and availability of these fuels became much more significant due to the political instability of many of the countries where they were most abundant. The exploitation since the 1970s of oil and gas from deposits in the seas around the British Isles, particularly in the North Sea and off the coast of Ireland, has provided a temporary respite in the supply of these fuels from elsewhere. Many people took advantage of the availability of oil to install oil-fired boilers, although coal was still available and remained popular. Coal-fuelled central-heating systems were more labour-intensive, but the fuel did have a price advantage over oil from time to time. By the early 1990s, the way in which buildings and homes were heated, and the relative price of the different fuels, assumed a whole new importance.

Roll of non-allergenic, itch-free, non-irritant loft insulation, 85 per cent made from recycled materials.

TOWARDS 2020 – LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

As fuel and electricity prices rise – as they inevitably will – the cost savings resulting from the installation of insulation will be greater year on year, and the time to pay back the initial investment will reduce. The savings given in these chapters are based on energy prices in 2009/2010; as prices rise, savings and payback times will improve steadily. At the same time, it is expected that the cost of installing insulation and the price of the materials will reduce, or at least keep pace with inflation.

Most governments around the world, including the UK and RoI, have committed to reduce their burning of fossil fuels, and to increase their use of renewable energy in an attempt to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and move to a lower-carbon future.

Polystyrene beads as used in cavity-wall insulation.

Carbon Dioxide Emissions in the UK

In 2008, the UK’s net emissions of carbon dioxide were estimated to be 532.8 million tonnes (Mt). This was around 2.0 per cent lower than the 2007 figure of 543.6Mt. There were decreases in emissions of 2.9 per cent (6.3Mt) from the energy supply sector, 2.9 per cent (3.9Mt) from the transport sector, and 3.0 per cent (2.7Mt) from the business sector. However, there was an increase of 3.2 per cent (2.5Mt) in emissions from the residential sector. One way to reduce emissions from the residential sector is to encourage the insulation of new and existing buildings.

The overall decrease in emissions has primarily resulted from continued fuel switching from coal to natural gas for electricity generation, combined with lower fossil fuel consumption by industry and the road transport sector. The increase in residential emissions has been attributed to the increased use of fossil fuels for domestic heating. (Source: DECC Greenhouse Gas Emissions Report, 2008)

The European Union’s (EU) 2009 Renewable Energy Directive sets a binding target of 20 per cent of the EU’s energy consumption coming from renewable sources by 2020. The UK commitment to this target is to generate 15 per cent of its energy from renewable sources. The UK objective is to be on track by 2020 towards achieving an 80 per cent reduction in carbon emissions by 2050. In July 2009, the UK published a renewable energy strategy (RES), which sets out the comprehensive policy framework within which these objectives will be achieved. The UK Government’s 2020 vision for the switch towards a low-carbon economy and society is set down in the RES and in the UK Low Carbon Transition Plan. Increased insulation and energy efficiency, combined with renewable energy from the wind, water, the sun and sustainable bio-energy, will have central roles in achieving the objectives.

Glass-fibre loft insulation made largely from recycled plastic bottles and suitable for loft insulation top-up. The insulation is 150mm thick and can be applied over insulation that may already exist in the loft.

The strategy proposes that over 30 per cent of electricity could come from renewable sources, compared with 5.4 per cent in 2008. This could be made up of 29 per cent large-scale electricity generation, and 2 per cent small-scale electricity generation. Considering heat demand, 12 per cent could come from renewable sources and also 10 per cent of energy used in transport could come from renewable sources.

Heating accounts for 47 per cent of the UK’s carbon dioxide emissions and 60 per cent of average domestic energy bills. In homes this heat is used to keep warm, for hot water and for cooking. It can, of course, also be used for industrial processes. Insulation of buildings can dramatically reduce the carbon dioxide emissions resulting from domestic heating.

Data from 2007 shows that approximately 69 per cent of the UK’s heat is produced from gas. Oil and electricity account for 11 per cent and 14 per cent respectively, solid fuel 3 per cent and renewables just 1 per cent. Heat sold – that is, heat that is produced and sold under the provision of a contract (including CHP plants and community heating schemes) – accounted for 2 per cent of the total.

(Sources: www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/what_we_do /uk_supply/energy_mix/renewable/res/res.aspwww.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/publications/lc_ trans_plan/lc_trans_plan.aspx Heat and Energy Saving Strategy, DECC (2009), p12– : http://hes.decc.gov.uk/consultation/consultation_summary)

The Clean Air Act banned the burning of coal in urban areas and this meant that the fuels of choice became gas from the national gas mains, where available, LPG or heating oil. By the turn of the twenty-first century, mains natural gas had reached around 50 per cent of the homes in the UK, although most of these were in the major towns and cities. Rural communities relied heavily on oil, with some coal and LPG, with some use of wood where it was easily, and sometimes freely, available, and able to be transported. It soon became apparent that affordability was not the only issue involved in the burning of these fuels. They were also contributing to pollution (through particulates, smoke and the oxides of carbon, nitrogen and sulphur), and the notion that a change in the climate was instigated by man became an emerging theme.

The Greenhouse Effect

The Greenhouse Effect produces a rise in temperature in the atmosphere because certain gases present in it, known as ‘greenhouse gases’ (water vapour, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane), trap the energy from the sun. Incoming solar radiation passes almost unimpeded through the Earth’s atmosphere and eventually it reaches the oceans or the Earth’s surface. This radiation is absorbed and then re-radiated at longer wavelengths as heat (or infra-red radiation). However, the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere do not allow this outgoing infra-red radiation to escape; instead, the heat is trapped and absorbed and it raises the temperature of the atmosphere. The Greenhouse Effect is an entirely natural process and without these gases the heat would be lost into space, the Earth’s average temperature would be about 30 degrees centigrade colder, and life as we know it would not exist.

The consensus view of the world’s climate scientists (represented by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, or IPCC), is that the quantity of greenhouse gases, notably carbon dioxide, present in the atmosphere has been increasing steadily over the last 250 years and it now far exceeds the natural range of the past 650,000 years. The current level of carbon dioxide present in the atmosphere is estimated to be around 370 parts per million (or ppm). It is almost certain that this rapid increase is attributable to man – most of it as a result of increasing industrial and economic growth – and that the rising atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide and other gases is producing an increase in temperature in the atmosphere. There is an ongoing debate about how much of an increase can be sustained before the planet reaches a tipping point – that is, the point of no return, after which positive-feedback processes are instigated, releasing even greater quantities of a variety of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. This rise in temperature will eventually unlock methane from the permafrost layers in the Polar Regions, release vast amounts of carbon dioxide from the oceans and, eventually, melt the Polar ice sheets, with a resulting increase in sea level. There is uncertainty about the exact timing and consequences of reaching the tipping point, but there can be no doubt that, if this is a realistic scenario, then the effect on the global population will be widespread and catastrophic.

It has been suggested by the IPCC that a global rise in average temperature of 2 degrees centigrade (above the level before the Industrial Revolution of the late eighteenth century), or an increase in the carbon dioxide level in the atmosphere to around 450ppm (from the current 370ppm) will be sufficient to trigger the tipping point. The IPCC predicted a rise in global temperatures of 1.4 to 5.8 degrees centigrade between 1990 and 2100, but the estimate takes account only of global warming driven by known greenhouse gas emissions. Evidence suggests that human activity is currently contributing around 2ppm of carbon dioxide a year and rising, and that the tipping point may therefore be reached within thirty years.

Internationally agreed targets have been set to reduce the quantities of the gases being emitted. The targets cover emissions of the six main greenhouse gases:

carbon dioxide (CO2);methane (CH4);nitrous oxide (N2O);hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs);perfluorocarbons (PFC5); andsulphur hexafluoride (SF6).

In November 2007, the IPCC reported in its ‘Draft Synthesis Report’ that most of the observed increase in global average temperatures since the mid-twentieth century is very likely to be due to the observed increase in anthropogenic GHG concentrations. It is likely that there has been significant anthropogenic warming over the past fifty years, averaged over each continent (except Antarctica). Source: AR4, SYR 2007 Synthesis Report of the IPPC.

The general consensus is that human activities are causing greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere to increase. This graphic explains how solar energy is absorbed by the Earth’s surface. This radiation is re-radiated to the atmosphere as infra-red radiation, which is, in turn, trapped by the greenhouse gases. The infra-red radiation raises the temperature of the atmosphere. (Philippe Rekacewicz)

The 1990s saw the identification of a customer group within the population who struggled to pay their energy bills, the so-called ‘fuel poor’. In some regions of the UK, as many as 50 per cent of households are in fuel poverty – in other words, they spend more than 10 per cent of their weekly income on providing heat and electricity for their homes. Those in this group struggle to afford the basic essentials of adequate heating for living space and hot water.

Concern for such households, combined with increased anxiety about global climate change, has led to the search for buildings that lose their heat less easily and therefore produce more affordable energy bills. Governments in Britain, across Europe and globally have been forced to address the pressing need to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide released during the burning of fossil fuels. The importance of properly insulating homes and buildings to minimize fuel bills, save energy, increase the security of national energy supplies and reduce harmful emissions has become a central theme for those in power.

The idea of a building that could be constructed with such high levels of insulation that it would not require very much heat to be added – even during the coldest periods of the year – has led to the emergence of a concept known as the ‘Zero Carbon Home’ (ZCH). The aim is to construct a dwelling that may be heated to an acceptable level, and provide the necessary amounts of hot water and electricity for the occupants, without the release of any carbon dioxide. The desired outcome can be reasonably well achieved in respect of the provision of heat; however, electricity that is produced at low efficiencies in a conventional power station provides a much more difficult challenge. (Electricity is generated at an efficiency of 25 to 30 per cent in older power stations and this figure is perhaps as high as 55 per cent at the newer combined cycle gas turbine power stations, or CCGTs.) Renewably generated electricity produces very little or no carbon dioxide.

One concept that has great appeal is a large heating boiler unit or pass-out turbine that provides enough heat to supply large residential areas and industrial developments at high efficiency. ‘District heating systems’, as they are known, are frequently standard in continental Europe, but they have proved difficult to bring forward in the British Isles. Only a limited number of schemes have been constructed and many of those have experienced some degree of technical and operational difficulty or failure.

A Proven Energy (provenenergy.co.uk) wind turbine can supply sufficient electricity for medium-sized loads such as a four- to six-bedroom home or a small farm. Electricity produced can benefit from the Feed-In Tariff (FIT) in GB.

The concept of producing both electricity and heat from a single appliance, at a much higher overall efficiency – perhaps as high as 75 per cent – is known as ‘combined heat and power’ (CHP). The difficulty of locating loads that can use the heat (‘heat sinks’) as well as the electricity generated has restricted the widespread roll-out of this technology. Domestic, industrial and commercial buildings, all of which require both heat and electricity, seem to present an ideal opportunity for CHP. A device that can provide heat and electricity to satisfy the demands of a domestic or small building should, in theory, find a ready market. A number of these devices have appeared over the last decade and several companies brought forward domestic combined heat and power units (d-CHP) as a first step. These d-CHP units burn natural gas using a Stirling engine; various adaptations use other fuels, including biomass and oil. The early versions produce sufficient heat (around 8kW) to satisfy a standard home (of around 1000m2) and they also generate around 1.5kW of electricity when operating.

LOW-CARBON BUILDING

Security of fuel supply is another important factor in the consideration of our energy future. Despite some recent finds, the on- and offshore resources of oil and gas around the British Isles are past their peak production, and the country is no longer in a position to support its energy requirements from these reserves. It continues to be necessary to import fuels and to compete on the international market for these vital commodities. The future global availability of these limited resources and the security of their supply will depend on factors outside our direct control, such as the stability of producer countries. The likely sustained increase in the costs of fossil fuels, combined with the growing uncertainties surrounding their supply, are additional reasons for pursuing a sustainable energy strategy, as part of any energy policy. The central tenets of this policy must be conservation, insulation and the use of indigenous renewable energy.

Diligent conservation, constructing new buildings with an adequate level of insulation, and the wider introduction of small-scale renewables may not initially have a large impact on national targets. However, over the course of time, these measures will significantly affect how we use (and waste) energy in our homes and help achieve the paradigm shift that delivers the low-carbon future.

The generation of electricity and heat in homes, businesses and communities, using small-scale renewable energy technologies, will help to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide. At the same time, it will also minimize the energy losses associated with the transmission of electricity from the power stations to homes and industry, which stand at between 5 and 10 per cent.

The Green House in Holywood, County Down, is super-insulated and requires no external source of heating to maintain a comfortable inside temperature all year around. Sufficient heat is supplied from the appliances, computers and inhabitants. The Green House has an air source heat pump for supplementary heating requirements.

In future, it is hoped that all new buildings will be super-insulated and well ventilated, resulting in dramatically lower, almost negligible, heat requirements compared with current demands. It is considered that a significant proportion of domestic and commercial heating needs can be met from renewable technologies. Eventually, electricity-producing technologies such as photovoltaic (PV) panels, d-CHP and small-scale wind turbines will be integrated within a building’s structure and these will fully supply the demand from lighting, cooking and entertainment appliances. Existing properties present more of a challenge – once a building has been constructed, its ability to insulate against heat loss is determined largely by the design and the materials used in its construction. The heat lost through the fabric will then remain the same over a building’s lifetime, unless the insulation is upgraded, or the building fabric is improved, using DIY where possible.

Airtight low-energy house with super-insulation. Fresh air is drawn in through intakes at roof level. The heat-recovery ventilation unit (HRVU) uses the heat from the exhaust ‘stale’ hot air being removed to heat the incoming fresh air in a heat exchanger. The stale hot, damp air is removed from the bathroom and kitchen and the fresh air is introduced to the living room and bedroom areas.

BUILDING REGULATIONS AND ZERO-CARBON HOMES

Building Regulations are discussed in greater detail in Chapter 3. They were first introduced to the UK and Ireland in the mid-1960s and governments have set and updated the standards which are used when new buildings are constructed ever since. The regulations set down the minimum ‘U-values’ (for a detailed description, seeChapter 2) for the components of a building’s structure and fabric, and designers and architects must ensure that the standards are met. Prior to the introduction of the Building Regulations, there were no mandatory building standards available, although some local authorities had by-laws, which, since 1952, incorporated minimum standards for this work. The vast majority of existing buildings and homes built before that time have standards (and U-values) that are significantly lower than those detailed in today’s Building Regulations; for example, they are unlikely to have insulation in the loft or in the cavity between the outer and inner walls, where such a cavity exists.

Table 2: DIY activities with insulation opportunities. Note: The units and term ‘U-values (W/m2K)’ as used in this table are described in detail in Chapter 2. * Subject to space, when replacing or upgrading an existing hot-water cylinder (of around 100 litre capacity) it is always worth considering a larger, insulated cylinder (say, 220 litres with at least 50mm of factory-fitted polystyrene insulation). It may be useful to make sure the cylinder has a second internal heating coil to anticipate the installation of a future solar water heating panel. (Source: EST CE83).

The Building Regulations and their amendments in 2000, and thereafter, include regulations that consider the conservation of fuel and power. There is software available from the Building Research Establishment (BRE), among others, which can be used to determine these values. Previously, the overall U-value for a property was calculated by totalling the individual component U-values; this summation had to be lower than a target value in order to comply with Building Regulations. This method, known as the ‘calculated trade-off’, has now been superseded by a new method of demonstrating compliance, known as the ‘whole-building approach’, or the ‘whole-building method’.

Nowadays, it is simply inconceivable that a new building should be constructed without full regard for insulation. New homes should be super-insulated – that is, with levels of insulation for the building fabric, roof, floors, windows and doors that are well above those specified even in the most recent version of the Building Regulations. Insulation is cheap and simple to install at the construction stage and it provides fuel savings year on year. It is, of course, more difficult to retrofit insulation into existing properties, especially if access to the space under the floors is necessary.

Building Regulations typically call for a U-value of around 0.3W/m2K. A super-insulated new dwelling could have an overall U-value of around 0.2W/m2K and this would mean that only a small amount of heat would be required to keep the property at the desired comfort level. This implies that a smaller boiler could be installed, with a consequent offset against the cost of the extra insulation, as well as the year-on-year savings on fuel bills. Future revisions of the Building Regulations will require the inclusion of renewable energy to provide the necessary carbon dioxide reductions; more details in Chapter 2.

INSULATION OPPORTUNITIES IN THE HOME

Most peopl ies at some stage; seeTable 2 and the picture on page 19 for the opportunities that exist to introduce energy efficiency and insulation into a whole range of DIY jobs.

Chapter 2 describes the main areas in homes and buildings that lose heat, concentrating on the building fabric. The Building Regulations are important in this work since they set the quality, best practice, legal compliance and safety standards for a range of home improvements and new construction work. Chapter 3 presents an overview of the current and proposed regulations. Chapter 4 reviews the range of materials that can be used to insulate a home or building, ranging from natural substances such as hemp and sheep’s wool to mineral insulation such as glass wool and oil-derived products, including polystyrene and phenolic foam. Some products are better in certain applications than others; Chapter 4 will guide you through the maze.

Chapter 5 gets down to the nitty gritty and takes a look at the practical DIY opportunities that are available to reduce the heat loss through walls. A significant portion of a building’s heat also escapes through the floors and roofs, and these are addressed in Chapters 6 and 7 respectively. Chapter 8 describes how heat is lost through draughts and ventilation and suggests some simple DIY approaches to minimize this. Energy-efficient glazing is the theme in Chapter 9 where potential savings using double- and triple-, and gas-filled glazing units are described. It is also very important that attention is given to properly insulating pipework and water storage tanks around the home – especially in lofts or exposed areas, and Chapter 10 describes how to tackle these areas. Chapter 11 reviews the tools, special clothing, materials and techniques which are needed to get the job done safely.

Table 3: Scope for DIY energy efficiency and insulation in home repairs.

Two additional chapters have been added as Appendix I and Appendix II. Appendix I reviews the literature and standards which give guidance on the specification and installation of insulation. Appendix II lists some of the relevant legislation which should be taken into account when planning work on your home or building. This book also includes a comprehensive listing of useful contacts, website links and of places to go for helpful advice, as well as a full glossary of terms.

Refurbishments, repairs or extensions all offer the opportunity to introduce better insulation into your home. Depending on the scope of the work, there may be quite a few opportunities for improvement. A range of options have been identified below and utilizing any or all of the measures (in the diagram opposite and listed in Table 2) will save money, waste less energy and reduce your carbon footprint.

The most important aspect of fitting insulation is getting the right advice before you begin and making sure it is carried through to completion. In most instances the insulation product manufacturers, the suppliers and the installers will be different people or companies. A full evaluation and inspection of the building will ensure that the most appropriate materials are selected and installed in line with the very best practice. The work can be completed either on a DIY basis, subject to competency, or, depending on the complexity of the job, using fully trained and accredited installers (for cavity-wall insulation, for example).

There is a wide range of opportunities for DIY work to introduce or enhance insulation in a property.

GRANTS FOR HOME INSULATION

Insulation is widely recognized as a way to produce lower energy bills, reduce emissions and enhance fuel security. In support of these objectives and acknowledging the fact that home insulation is beneficial because it provides jobs and supports the economy, from time to time there are grants available in the UK and RoI. Such funds may contribute to the cost of loft insulation, cavity-wall insulation and draught-proofing, all of which will save on energy bills and reduce your carbon footprint.

In Scotland, England and Wales, grants are available from utility companies as a result of the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) programme. In Northern Ireland the equivalent scheme is the NI Sustainable Energy Programme (NISEP). Information on grant eligibility and how to process an application can be obtained by contacting the agencies detailed in the ‘Contacts’ section at the end of the book. For example, in Britain the Warm Front scheme provides grant assistance to insulate and draught-proof houses and flats; such grants may be means-tested. In the Republic of Ireland, the Sustainable Energy Authority for Ireland (SEAI) (see the ‘Contacts’ section) provides information relating to grants, which are available from time to time, and lists of approved contractors.

Specialist contractors installing rolls of loft insulation made mostly from recycled plastic bottles. (Homeseal Insulation Installers, Magherafelt, NI, homesealni.co.uk)

From time to time there are ad hoc grant or loan schemes available. For example, in Northern Ireland in July 2010, Land and Property Services (LPS), a division of the Department of Finance and Personnel (DFP), introduced two schemes that will allow home owners to benefit from a rate rebate once they have installed specific energy-efficiency measures. The scheme known as the ‘Low Carbon Homes Scheme’ promotes the construction of new low- and zero-carbon homes by providing an initial exemption from rates for the first two years of occupation of a new home. There are qualifying conditions around these rebates and details should be checked at Land and Property Services website, www.nidirect.gov.uk/low-carbon-homes.htm. Other similar rates relief schemes are being planned across the UK and Ireland.

To find out whether you are eligible for a grant (some grants may be means-tested) and for help with your application, call the following numbers, as appropriate to your area:

in England or Wales, call 0800 316 2805 or 0800 028 2373;in Scotland, contact the Energy Assistance Package, 0800 512 012;in Northern Ireland, contact Warm Homes, 0800 512 012;in the Republic of Ireland, contact the Sustainable Energy Authority for Ireland (SEAI), 1800 250 204, or email [e-mail].

CHAPTER 2

Heat Loss in Buildings

ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND HEAT LOSS

Over time, all the heat supplied to a house to raise the temperature of its rooms to a comfortable level will be lost to the surroundings. The rate of heat loss will depend on how well the materials from which the house is constructed conduct heat. All the materials used in the construction of the house act to some extent as insulation and they resist heat flow from the rooms to the surroundings. Materials such as wood or brick are reasonably good at resisting heat loss, while others such as glass or metal are poor, allowing heat to escape rapidly through them. Well-insulated houses made from materials that have good insulation performance, or those that include extra insulation as part of the construction, lose their internal heat less rapidly. Super-insulated houses that have very high levels of insulation fitted lose their room heat to the surroundings very slowly.

Most of the existing dwellings in the British Isles, especially those constructed before the 1970s, suffer from significant heat loss, having been built either with insufficient insulation or, very often, with none at all. Installing high-efficiency, or even environmentally friendly renewable energy-based heating systems will be of little value if heat is lost from the building as soon as it has been supplied. The design standards and building fabric of British homes differ dramatically from those elsewhere in Europe, notably the Scandinavian countries, where building insulation standards are much higher.

A semi-detached house in the process of having external wall insulation installed to make it warmer and reduce its energy bills. (Seamus O’Loughlin Viking-House, viking-house.co.uk)