Sustainability

Future of Building Insulation

In November 2008, the Climate Change Act 2008 was passed to produce the world’s first long term and legally binding framework to tackle the dangers of climate change, outlining the requirement for an 80% reduction in UK CO₂ emissions by 2050.

Part of the delivery mechanisms towards this are:

• for all new homes to achieve ‘zero carbon’ ratings by 2016
• the aim for all new public buildings to be built to zero carbon levels by 2018, and 
• an ambition for all new buildings to be built to zero carbon standards by 2019 

Additional reports show that:

• the homes and buildings that we live and work in, combined with the materials used to build them, account for over half of the total UK CO₂ emissions
• 53% of the total emissions from a UK home are lost via the heating and cooling of homes
• 33% of emissions from offices and commercial buildings are also lost via space heating

For all of these reasons sustainability, carbon reduction and improved energy performance have become the focal points of the building construction industry.

While Building Regulations focus on the overall construction of a building rather than individual components, the McKinsey Report highlighted building insulation as the most cost-effective method of improving energy efficiency and reducing CO₂ emissions in houses and other building stock.

Of all the forms of available building insulation materials, PIR insulation is the most effective in terms of thermal performance per mm of thickness. This in turn allows for a smaller building footprint or larger internal room dimensions.

At Celotex, home of the UK PIR industry, the sustainability message is driven by facts, not emotion. We fully understand the importance of sustainability and are perfectly positioned to provide the products and information needed by the industry.

Celotex products have been assessed by BRE Global and have been confirmed as achieving a low environmental impact, through its BRE Approved Environmental Profile. This profiling drives our A+ rating when compared to the BRE Green Guide 2008, allowing credits to be earned under the relevant sections of The Code For Sustainable Homes and BREEAM. As the products are low GWP and zero ODP rated further credits can also be gained in other relevant categories.

The Celotex range of products encompasses the thinnest and thickest PIR building insulation boards available today - from as thin as 12mm through to 200mm, all available from stock. With products suitable for pitched and flat roofs, walls and floors as well as a plasterboard thermal laminate and a Class O product range for when project specifications demand enhanced fire performance, Celotex products are already helping to reduce CO₂ emissions from homes, buildings and offices.

Through our A+ Green Guide rating, low environmental impact score and depth of product offering, Celotex offer low carbon sustainable solutions.

“We have used 140mm of Celotex insulation throughout our zero carbon house and have been astounded by the thermal efficiency of the product. Celotex is making a major contribution to the reduction of the carbon footprint of the project. We cannot recommend it highly enough.”
Michael Rea, Zero Carbon House Project, Shetland