Specifiers Journal 2017

The fabric of a building
gives substance to its
thermal performance
“Think Fabric First”
One of the main issues around housing
is the amount of CO2 emissions
that different types of design and
construction generate over the lifetime
of a property.
amended to ensure all
new properties deliver
a 30% cut in the current benchmark
for CO2 emissions. It is intended that
this standard will then be reduced again
by a further 30% in 2016.
unique injected PU closed panel timber
frame system called Val-U-Therm®
Our preoccupation with quick fixes and
a massive media campaign around
renewable energy, has led many to
believe the best solution in the battle to
bring down CO2 emissions is to employ
the likes of wind turbines, solar panels
and thermal water heaters.
There is no doubt that all of these
have their place and that where used
appropriately they have an important
role to play in the future of sustainable
energy generation.
In practice the energy efficiency of
a building boils down to a couple of
things. How much fuel is required to
power its heating and water
systems and how
well the building
manages to retain
the heat that is
generated
The better a
building performs
in these two
areas, the less
fuel its occupants
will use on a daily
basis and the
lower its emissions will be. As such
the fabric of a building is central to its
green credentials. Increasingly this
is becoming a significant factor in the
decision making process for all house
builders.
Within the past few years, the building
standard regulations have been
4 ECOBUILDER - THE SPECIFIER 2017
Given the media attention surrounding
the environment, the introduction of
energy performance certificates for all
properties and the changing legislation
for new property emission targets, this
is an issue that is becoming ever more
central in the house buying process.
In the same way that fuel consumption
for cars has become an important factor,
people are being
encouraged to
look at the energy
performance
of a property,
understand its
ongoing running
costs and
include this in
their purchasing
decision.
For those
looking to build a own
house, constructing a property that
meets not only today’s standards, but
also those of the years to come, has
significant benefits in relation to the dayto-day
costs of living in the property. A
well performing property will also be
a lot more attractive to prospective
buyers come the
time to sell.
Scotframe has
embraced this
approach to
construction
and in using
the very latest
techniques and
materials and
has recently
brought to the
market place an innovative and
Val-U-Therm® panels are factory
injected with a high performance PU
material, which fills every void, making
it exceptionally thermally efficient and
virtually airtight.
In short, the fabric of the building and
the way it is put together means homes
of this type can be heated up very
quickly and retain their temperature for
incredibly long periods of time. This
reduces their
energy needs
significantly.
This is where our
focus should lie,
rather than with
using renewable
energy to make
up for poor
design and build
quality.
If, over time, we
can shrink the amount of energy
required by our entire stock of housing,
generating that energy from sustainable
sources then becomes a much more
viable option.
When we already have the technology
to build houses that deliver excellent
energy performances, prioritising this
approach will deliver faster and longer
lasting results than installing individual
renewable energy sources that can
provide a portion of a property’s energy
needs.
When it comes to reducing CO2
emissions, the substance of the
argument resides in the substance
of the building and those taking this
on board will achieve the biggest
improvements.
For further information, contact Peter Hall – Marketing Manager
Scotframe, Inverurie Business Park, Souterford Avenue, Inverurie AB51 0ZJ
Tel: 01467 626843
Email: peter.hall@scotframe.co.uk
www.scotframetimberengineering.co.uk
Building using
our high
thermal performance, airtight, closed panel
timber frame systems for floors, walls &
roofs minimises the requirement for mirco
renewable technologies by embracing
‘Fabric First’ principles.
AIRTIGHTNESS
THERMAL
PERFORMANCE
ENERGY
EFFICIENCY
Cumbernauld 01236 861200
Inverurie 01467 624440
Dundee 01382 561772
Inverness 01463 717328
Paignton 01803 267680
West Sussex 01273 831896
www.scotframe.co.uk
SPEED OF
CONSTRUCTION
Let Scotframe
thermally engineer
a solution for you.