GA/ldo/23.10.09                                       SIGNIFICANT 1/2

SIMPLE, LOW-COST INSULATION TO MAKE WAY FOR SIGNIFICANT ENERGY SAVING MEASURES

Government Speaker At INCA External Wall Insulation National Conference

The Government recognises that “it has a key challenge to move from delivering relatively simple and inexpensive measures to more significant changes to homes”. So said Joanna Warner, Head of Policy, Heat and Energy Saving Strategy, Department of Energy and Climate Change, in her Keynote speech at the Insulated Render and Cladding Association’s annual conference, at the National Motorcycle Museum, in Birmingham, in October.

          The Conference was aptly entitled ‘Using External Wall Insulation to Meet Your Targets and Government Regulations’. It was attended by nearly 200 registered social landlords, builders, architects, and the external wall insulation industry, and sponsored by British Gas.

          Joanna stated that “over seven million homes should have the opportunity to take up more substantial ‘whole house’ changes by 2020”. There was a need to ensure that the industry had the right skills and technologies”. She discussed a proposal to extend CERT, and how CESP, which went live on September 1, would “make a significant difference to those homes it treats” – also “the need for financing arrangements”. DECC were “now working on further proposals in response to the consultation”.

          Relating the Government aspirations to the market place, Wayne Smith, National Business Development Manager, of British Gas, in providing the introductory talk for the morning session, described the opportunities for solid wall insulation for 6.6 million homes. “There were currently 15 to 20 thousand installations being undertaken per year. By 2050 this needed to increase to 200,000, a 1000% scale-up. Before 2012 he forecast some 38,000 domestic installations would be undertaken per year. CESP would potentially create up to 60,000 solid wall installations”.

          However, to achieve this, the industry “needed to make solid wall insulation accessible, sexy, with choice to customers, finance options, demonstration projects, and a variety of solutions for building types”.

          The Conference was chaired by Maxwell Hutchinson, of The Hutchinson Studio, who was particularly knowledgeable about external wall insulation. The morning session concentrated on refurbishment under the theme “Treating the Existing Building Stock Using External Wall Insulation”. The afternoon session was entitled “External Wall Insulation for Sustainable New Buildings”. Maxwell presented the INCA Andy Swan Awards for the best use of external wall insulation.

          Two case studies followed. Canterbury House, Borehamwood, is a refurbished high rise block. This was presented by Stewart Burnside, of Baily Garner Architects. Then Ammo Singh, Major Works Programme Delivery Manager, Walsall Housing Group, discussed their Brownhills Refurbishment of low rise properties.

Maxwell presented the afternoon talk on new build, illustrating the flexibility of external wall insulation, for design concepts and interesting shapes, and different colours and textures. Two case studies followed. 

          The first new build case study was Frome Hospital, which was the overall winner in the INCA Awards. This was described by David Leverton, Laing O’Rourke Wales & West, who received the trophy. This was followed by Hirst Gardens, Burnley, presented by John Howe, Construction Manager, Wates Living Space.

          The Conference was accompanied by an exhibition of external wall insulation systems and services, keenly viewed by delegates before they visited the famous Motorcycle Museum.

The Insulated Render & Cladding Association is at Royal London House, 22-25 Finsbury Square, London EC2A 1DX ; tel: 0844 249 0040; fax: 0844 249 0042; e-mail: info@inca-ltd.org.uk; or www.inca-ltd.org.uk.

♦      ♦       ♦

Editors:

Further information from the INCA Secretariat
on 0844 249 0040.

♦      ♦       ♦

Downloadable Images:-

FROME AWARD CAPTION 1/1

GA/ldo/23.10.09                                                 

FROME COMMUNITY HOSPITAL WINS INCA AWARD

The Frome Community Hospital was announced as the overall winner of the INCA Andy Swan Awards 2009, for the best use of external wall insulation, at the national seminar on external wall insulation, organised by the Insulated Render and Cladding Association, and sponsored by British Gas earlier this month.

PICTURE SHOWS: (left to right): Joanna Warner, Head of Policy, Heat and Energy Saving Strategy, Department of Energy and Climate Change, Keynote speaker at the Conference; David Leverton, Regional Design Leader, Laing O’Rourke Wales and West, the main contractors for Frome Community Hospital; Maxwell Hutchinson, The Hutchinson Studio, who chaired the Conference; Rodger Canning, PermaRock Products Ltd, system designer for the project; Tony Sheehan, Joyner PA (Cymru) Ltd, the installer; and Wayne Smith, British Gas, conference sponsor, and lead speaker for the refurbishment session.

The Insulated Render & Cladding Association is at Royal London House, 22-25 Finsbury Square, London EC2A 1DX ; tel: 0844 249 0040; fax: 0844 249 0042; e-mail: info@inca-ltd.org.uk; or www.inca-ltd.org.uk.  

GO TO TOP OF PAGE