Environmental product declarations: why does the industry need more EPDs?
29 November 2024
Legislation around the world is increasingly mandating the reporting of embodied carbon and use of more sustainable products in buildings. At a recent webinar, held in collaboration with the Alliance for Sustainable Building Products, a panel of experts discussed the use, drivers and barriers of environmental product declaration (EPD) adoption in the built environment.
Kay Pitman
World Built Environment Forum Manager, RICS
Environmental product declarations (EPDs) are being increasingly employed by designers, the wider supply chain and regulatory authorities to understand the environmental impacts that buildings and infrastructure have. While technology, data and skills present barriers to adoption, industry and regulatory initiatives will see a more complete adoption of EPDs in the built environment.
EPDs are becoming a global phenomenon
At the start of 2024, there were nearly 25,000 EPDs published to the European standard EN 15804. But there are at least another 30,000 project-specific EPDs that have been verified for European products, and around 70,000 verified EPDs in North America, explains Dr Jane Anderson, ConstructionLCA and co-author of RICS’ Whole life carbon assessment professional standard. EPDs are also being produced in Australasia, China, Mexico and Latin America, as well as in the Middle East and India.
There are numerous EPD programmes in Europe and around the world that use the EN 15804 standard. The EPDs will all have the same common content and follow the same rules, for example, the way that the building life cycle is broken down. This means the EPD data can be plugged into a building or infrastructure life cycle assessment, explains Jane.
EPDs examine a spectrum of environmental impacts, not just carbon
‘An EPD isn’t a statement that something is sustainable or not, but rather a report that shows in a verifiable objective way that a product has various impacts across a series of categories’, states Mark Lynn, managing director of Eden Renewable Innovations Ltd.
‘Looking at the information they contain, it’s not just carbon, although carbon tends to be the indicator that we focus on most of all, with things like embodied carbon’, says Jane. There is a list of core indicators that are mandatory in every EPD, with impact categories covering drivers of climate change, ozone depletion, acidification, eutrophication, water use and ozone formation. It is mandatory for EPDS to cover all the impacts up until the product leaves the factory gates. EPDs include resource indicators and indicators about the amount of material available for reuse or recycling based on certain scenarios. More recently, EPDs must provide information on biogenic carbon.
What are the primary drivers of EPD adoption?
For countries and companies that want to reduce the embodied carbon in buildings, one approach is to use EPDs to find lower impact products or solutions. In Norway, there is a requirement to have at least ten products with EPDs on any large public projects. In Italy, there are requirements for public buildings to have a specific percentage of recycled content, so EPDs are a way of providing evidence of this. Germany and Belgium have requirements to assess the life cycle impacts of publicly funded buildings. Denmark, Finland and Sweden have regulations requiring the assessment of embodied carbon in buildings. Both BREAAM and LEED building assessment systems have credits for using products with EPDs.
‘In Europe, it will become mandatory to produce verified, digitised EPD data for products covered by either the Construction Products Regulations or the Eco Design Regulations, starting in the next couple of years with steel and concrete, and then ongoing until around 2040’, says Jane. So, if you want to market your product in the EU, you will have to produce an EPD. Products with the biggest impact are being prioritised, although sectors can also fast track, she continues. The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive means that by 2028, all large buildings in the EU member states will have to assess embodied carbon, and all new buildings by 2030. With these kinds of requirements coming into force, there will be a massive pull for EPD data, she concludes.
We are pushed by carbon regulation in Europe, by market requirements and of course by financial regulation as well, explains Frank Hovorka MRICS, board member and sustainability chair for RICS. ‘We are really pushed by corporate and social reporting directives. Every company must report its CO2 emissions and greenhouse gas emissions to a standardised reporting system’.
The French EPD programme is among the largest in the world – how does it work?
Since January 2022, it has been mandatory to make life cycle assessments on buildings in France, continues Frank. This life cycle assessment is done based on a core calculation methodology developed by the French Scientific Centre for Buildings. At the building level, the French system requires a dynamic life cycle assessment, which considers biogenic carbon stocks at the end of life.
There is only one database – Inies – where construction product EPDs can be registered in France. To get onto the database, products must achieve certification with a French system of auditing. As the French system is different, an EPD produced in another country would not be able to go directly into the Inies database. However, all the information for the manufacture of the product in an EPD theoretically can be used, says Jane. The problem lies in the limited number of verifiers in France, which is a challenge shared by a lot of other countries as well.
Despite being among the largest EPDs programmes globally, the Inies database does not have sufficient manufacturer specific or sector EPD to provide for every single product and product group, explains Jane. This lack of EPDs, says Frank, means professionals must instead use a set of state-provided average values for certain families of products, or if not available, a proxy EPD. However, there is a high uplift if you must use these proxy EPDs, basically doubling the impact, so it is advantageous to have manufacturer specific and sector EPDs in the French database.
Using EPDs to inform product development
Mark Lynn is managing director of Eden Renewable Innovations Ltd, the company behind Thermafleece, among other construction products. Thermafleece is a natural fibre insulation made from British sheep’s wool. ‘We chose to produce EPDs for our products because they provide a means to support our green claims and highlight our commitment to a sustainable built environment’, Mark explains.
EPDs also show a commitment to transparency and objectivity, and they also help to inform product development, he says. ‘It is very important for us and our culture as a business; we don’t see EPDs as a tick box exercise. You’ve got to embrace the EPD process and see how informative it can be internally, and how useful it can be externally’.
How can EPDs help to counter greenwashing?
Speaking about how accessible EPDs are for SMEs, Mark says, ‘I don’t believe that EPDs are too expensive for small businesses. It’s just a question of prioritising where you spend your money’.
Ultimately, putting together an EPD is a process mapping and data collection exercise for an SME, so finding the people with the right mindset for that kind of work was straightforward, he says. ‘Typically, we found that drafting the EPD would probably take three months and then it would require a month or so to get it verified. So, an SME is probably looking about six to nine months from start to finish’, he says. ‘And if you annualise the costs, it was less than £4,000 a year in total for two EPDs covering four products; so less than £1000 a year per product’.
Jane agrees, explaining that EPDs a are useful mechanism to counter the risk of greenwashing. ‘EPDs are independently verified by an experienced expert who must be approved by an EPD programme. If it’s an ECO Platform EPD programme, it has been audited and the EPDs have been checked to make sure the verifiers are fully qualified, and a very detailed verification checklist ensures quality’, she says.
In France and Germany, it is already a requirement that you must have an EPD if you make an environmental claim about a construction product, and there is similar legislation coming through at the European level, continues Jane. In the UK, EPDs can be useful evidence of adherence to the Green Claims Code.
Data and technology solutions for integration are rapidly emerging
It is impossible to efficiently manage data for 400 to 600 building components in a spreadsheet, so a machine-to-machine readable system is needed, says Frank. He continues, ‘the challenge we face in Europe is to develop a normalised approach where each product has a unique identification tag and digital product passport, so that it can be integrated into a building’s digital twin’. To achieve this, data templates and data sharing approaches are being developed in the EU.
There are several other emerging data and technology solutions, adds Jane. The Built Environment Carbon Database is becoming more useful in finding EPDs that are relevant in the UK. The EC3 database can find products that have characteristics in particular locations. EPD Analyzer has a tool where you can make comparisons between EPD and visualise the results.
The first in a planned series of guest blogs is now available to read on the supasoft website
13th November 2024
Little Green Rooms create beautifully crafted garden rooms all insulated with SupaSoft Insulation. ‘We use SupaSoft in all our buildings. We don’t just use it in the walls but the flooring and ceiling too. It’s like wrapping every garden room in a thick cosy bubble’.
18th October 2024
Cumberland and Westmorland Herald
With Autumn upon us and the cooler weather setting in, October is the perfect time to raise awareness about wool and highlight the special properties of this remarkable fibre.
Thermafleece is based in Dacre, and producing a fantastic product right here in Eden.
The UK is home to approximately 14 million sheep that are shorn annually producing 14 million fleeces or about 23 million kilos of wool. About 5 million kilos of that wool is suitable for insulation. Insulating a loft with Thermafleece CosyWool uses around 100 fleeces meaning we can insulate tens of thousands of lofts each year providing warmth equivalent to a 75-tog duvet.
All insulation prevents heat loss, reducing the amount of energy used to heat homes and in turn reducing heating bills, but some are better at doing this than others. Certainly, no other type of insulation captures carbon like natural fibres. No other type of insulation can buffer moisture like natural fibres and no other insulation is sustainable like natural fibres. And when it comes to natural fibre Insulation, we believe there is nothing that compares to British Wool.
Wool’s special qualities make it an excellent choice for home insulation. It’s natural, truly breathable, durable, and sustainable, helping regulate temperatures in both warm and cold conditions. Wool can absorb up to 30% of its weight in moisture while remaining dry to the touch. This moisture-buffering ability helps maintain a balanced humidity level, absorbing moisture when humidity is high and releasing it when humidity is low—a valuable feature for homes prone to condensation, dampness, or mould, such as traditional Cumbrian properties.
So, get up in the loft and check your insulation. If it has slumped, looks in bad repair or is none-existent and you want to stop those energy bills rising then the time to act is now. Installing Thermafleece Insulation to a thickness of 240mm could save you £340 a year. If you just need to top what is already there, then doing so will still save you money and if you don’t want to re-install the usual stuff, top it up with Thermafleece, and benefit from the truly breathable, sustainable and healthy benefits that a British sheep’s wool insulation brings. It’s a smart, eco-friendly choice that truly pays off.
Insulate your home with British Sheep wool
2nd October 2024
Daily Mail written by Toby Walne
POORLY insulated homes cost an extra £385 to keep warm in comparison with a typical property, according to the non-profit body Energy and Climate Change Intelligence Unit (ECIU).
The least insulated will typically pay £l,290 for gas and electricity for the winter months between October to the end of March. One with slightly better than average insulation would pay just over £900 for the same period.
Jess Ralston, energy’ analyst at the ECIU, says: ‘Millions of homes are facing higher bills this winter simply because they are leaking far too much heat. But by insulating a home you bring bills down once and for all, with a lonv-term solution that will cut the cost of heating.
Adding insulation to your walls is one of the most effective options, but can require a considerable upfront cost and may be invasive. For example, adding external wall insulation costs around £11,000 and internal wall insulation around £7,500, according to organisation the Energy Saving Trust.
However, there are faster fixes that could save you hundreds of pounds. Nick Miles, director of advice firm The Green Age, says that putting sheep wool in the loft is one of the most cost-effective ways to insulate while demonstrating eco-credentials. He says: ‘Wool might seem expensive but can pay for itself in three years.’
Sheep wool is not flammable and has the benefit of being far more breathable than synthetic loft insulation. It can absorb and release any moisture in the air without losing its thermal qualities. More than a third of the heat from a home can escape through the ceiling and roof.
A £1,000 ‘Thermafleece’ attic space roof lining can recoup its cost in three years and then save you money.
Unlike with some modern synthetic insulation, Thermafleece which is three-quearters British Sheep’s Wool and a quarter recycled polyester – can be handled without gloves and is not irritating to the skin, though it is still a good idea to wear a dust mask if you decide to lay it in the attic yourself. It is recommended to be laid at at least 240mm thick.
On average, expect to pay about £100 for a pack of 2 or 3 rolls which are available in varying thicknesses and widths. It can be rolled out between the joists on the floor of the attic and cut by hand cut by hand and purchased from retailers such as Jewson, the Roofing Superstore, Natural Insulations and Insulation Merchant
If you don’t have loft insulation, installing some with a thickness of 270mm could save you £285 a year. If you already have 120mm thick insulation, increasing it to 270mm could save you £35 a year.
Celebrating all things Wool with Wool Month
29th September 2024
The annual celebration of this most fabulous of fibres which is organised by The Campaign for Wool takes place throughout October. During the month The Campaign will welcome a host of in-store retailer events, pop ups and panel discussions all supporting and promoting the wonderful fibre of wool at various stages from the Campaign for Wool Supporters.
Activities start on the 3rd October with a gallery launch designed to be an education walk-through talking about the different wool types from fine Merino to strong mountain wool and everything in-between and all the natural benefits of wool – durability, flame retardancy, biodegradability etc. and country of origin Australian, British, New Zealand and South African. We want press and guests to walk through and be able to touch and feel lots of different wool types, knitwear and cloths and learn the variety of what wool can offer and its vast versatility. Later in the month there will be a trade event in Yorkshire targeting industry supporters and include the IWTO, British Wooland Woolmark.
Find out more about the multiple benefits of Natural Fibre Insulation
September 15th 2024
Join the Alliance for Sustainable Building Products and the ASBP Natural Fibre Insulation Groupfor an exciting new showcase of natural fibre insulation (NFI) products and systems, with a series of in-person events, CPDs, tours and practical hands-on workshops taking place across the UK from 14th – 18th October 2024.
NFI Week 2024 will provide architects, designers, specifiers, contractors and clients with access to some of the leading industry experts from the ASBP Natural Fibre Insulation Group, which includes the major manufacturers and suppliers of natural fibre insulation in the UK.
NFI Week is an opportunity to find out more about the multiple benefits of natural fibre insulation, get hands-on with NFI via practical demonstrations, and embark on tours of production facilities and site visits.
The event showcase will kick off with the 3rd annual NFI Summit ‘The Big Debate’ taking place on Monday 14th October online, followed by a series of regional in-person events throughout the week, hosted by members of the ASBP Natural Fibre Insulation Group.
Eden Renewable Innovations has announced the upcoming launch of new sizes for their Thermafleece British Sheeps Wool insulation rolls and slabs.
From the Thermafleece office near Penrith, Managing Director Mark Lynn explained, ‘Adding a 25mm thick roll available in widths of both 370mm and 570mm addresses the market’s request for a product to insulate service voids— helping to reduce U-Values and generate further energy savings for the homeowner.’
Additionally, the company has aligned the width of the CosyWool slab packs with the roll sizes. ‘This change has again been driven by our industry and end users who found the previous slab pack sizes large and cumbersome. By changing the width and reducing the number of slabs in a single pack, the carriage becomes more manageable and the ability for the stockist / end user to store and handle the packs is much improved.’
The new sizes will be available on this website from the 1st June.
Eden Firm features in remarkable Renovations project
18th March 2024
On a chilly day back in 2023, architect, TV presenter and writer George Clarke and the Amazing Productions team visited wool scouring and production facilities in Yorkshire to explore the manufacturing process of Thermafleece insulation, made from British Wool.
Thermafleece, based in Dacre, near Penrith, was born nearly 25 years ago out of an incentive to create a natural British Wool insulation which was readily available in the UK. Today if finds application in a diverse range of modern and traditional buildings nationwide, from castles to shepherds’ huts.
Thermafleece is owned by Eden Renewable Innovations Ltd, a private company, and its CosyWool and Ultrawool remain the UK’s first and only insulation made from British Sheep’s Wool.
The visit to the Yorkshire facilities was showcased in an episode of George Clarke’s Remarkable Renovations which aired on Channel 4 on 18th March. Viewers witnessed the conversion of a barber shop in Amersham into a beautiful warm family home.
First published in Cumberland and Westmorland Herald – March 24th 2024.
“Materials – An Environmental Primer”
A forthcoming reference book, “Materials – An Environmental Primer” Published by RIBA and edited by Hattie Harman and Jack Williams sheds light on the environmental implications of material selection.
Each chapter is devoted to a single material and written by an industry expert.
‘We’re thrilled that the industry expert chosen to author the insulation chapter was our own MD Mark Lynn, Mark is also chair of the ASBP’. More details from: https://www.ribabooks.com/
First published on www.thermafleece.com – March 2024
Traditional solid walls – the hardest to improve part of the hardest to heat properties
Traditional solid walls are often seen as the ‘hardest to improve part of the hardest to heat properties, in the March /April copy of Listed Heritage, Mark Lynn explains why they are often considered too hard to deal with and how we need to approach things from a different angle, striking a balance between saving energy and preserving the building fabric
Made in Britain’s Product of the Week
On the same week as Thermafleece was announced as Made In Britain’s Product of the week, the British Sheep’s Wool company based in Dacre, Cumbria was awarded the title Best Wool Insulation Company in the UK Enterprise Awards 2022.
Now in its sixth year, the SME UK Enterprise Awards continues to recognise SMEs of all sizes who are endeavouring to bettering business in their industries. Whether it’s by nourishing rich internal cultures to promote employee satisfaction, by offering next-level customer service, or through an enduring dedication to innovative products – British SMEs are truly the lifeblood of the country’s economy and business landscape.
Award Coordinator Holly Blackwood took a moment to discuss the success of this year’s programme: “One of the joys of this programme is realising the sheer talent and skill that permeates every inch of the British business sphere, across all industries and fields. So here’s a massive congratulations and I hope you all have a wonderful – and productive- rest of the year ahead.
Thermafleece features in Build It Magazine May 22 Issue
Anamika Talwaria investigates how to upgrade your heritage property
When it comes to bringing an older home into the 21st century, you probably want to improve performance while keeping attractive period features intact. A big part of this is respecting the character of the original property by ensuring your material choices sit seamlessly in the building fabric. Older properties were often built with local, natural products – so you should try to replace like-for-like. However, this isn’t always possible or practical.
Here, I’m going to explore which materials could work well for your renovation – from insulation and render, through to windows and rainwater goods. To read the article in full click here
EPD for Thermafleece insulation range
Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) are now available for Thermafleece CosyWool, UltraWool and SupaSoft Insulation. The EPD’s are independently verified providing transparent data you can trust.
As the demand for transparency and independent data grows the need for verified EPD’s becomes ever greater. EPD’s are a way of determining and publishing the environmental impact of products and cover a range of aspects including embodied carbon, measured as the Global Warming Potential (GWP) of the product.
The data on the Thermafleece, UltraWool and SupaSoft Insulation EPD’s is published for the thickness required to achieve an R value of 1 enabling easy comparison with other products. All EPD’s are available through the Environdec EPD Library and will shortly be published on the ASBP online EPD database.
To learn more about EPD there is plenty of material on the ASBP web site, https://asbp.org.uk/workstream/environmental-product-declarations
The Advantages of using Natural Fibre Insulation in Listed Properties
By Guest contributor Mark Lynn
Many owners of older properties are familiar with the importance of breathability and using breathable natural fibre insulation (NFI). There are many additional reasons for using insulation made using materials such as sheep’s wool, wood fibre, hemp and straw.
Intuitively, the rationale for using NFI in traditional buildings is simple: they make use of materials in common use at the time of construction, so they work in sympathy with the fabric of older buildings. This is particularly important when it comes to maintaining a healthy moisture and humidity balance within the building fabric.
NFI’s breathe in a way no other insulation does. Not only is natural fibre insulation highly vapour-permeable, the fibres bind and release water molecules like tiny magnets depending on the humidity of the surrounding air. When this happens, the moisture is bound in a much less harmful form than liquid water droplets. This enables NFI to be truly breathable, helping prevent the accumulation of harmful moisture and ensuring the insulation performs consistently across a wide humidity range.
Most of us recognise the importance of insulation in preventing heat loss, saving energy and reducing operational carbon (the sum of the energy needed to heat, cool and light a property), but fewer connect insulation with other aspects of building performance. Insulation can account for more than 50% of the volume of the building fabric so it’s important to appreciate what insulation does. In fact, insulation and NFI’s in particular play a significant role in many aspects of a building’s performance, including energy efficiency, heat gain, acoustic comfort, sustainability, moisture balance, indoor air quality, buildability, durability and fire performance.
The acoustic properties of natural fibre insulation are often overlooked. Because of their irregular surface, shape and density, fibres such as sheep’s wool are very effective at disrupting sound. That’s one of the reasons why not need to be supported within timbers, a continuous layer of insulation can be achieved which eliminates thermal bridging. The most common rigid insulation is wood fibre or cork. Wood fibre is more widely available and cost efficient. Cork is also becoming a popular choice.
Thermafleece British sheep’s wool is the most widely used flexible insulation in the UK, with flexible wood fibre and hemp also common. Flexible insulation is formed by combining natural fibres with a small about of binder fibre, which holds the insulation together and prevents slumping. This type of thermally bonded insulation is very durable and retains full breathability as the natural fibres are fully exposed to the surrounding air. The choice of fibre type largely depends on personal preference and cost, sheep’s wool often being the lowest cost NFI option. Flexible NFI can also be used in walls providing it is held within a timber stud frame.
When it comes to upgrading the thermal performance of existing buildings, it is important to look at each property on its own merits. The choice and availability of natural fibre insulation has never been greater. With established technologies and expertise within the UK, suppliers are able to provide comprehensive support to clients and professionals to ensure the most appropriate products and systems for each building. sheep’s wool and wood fibre insulation can provide acoustic performance comparable to the best mineral fibre products.
With natural fibre insulation available using a variety of materials such as wool, wood, hemp and straw it’s often a puzzle as to which one to use or which is best. There is a large element of personal preference, but it depends firstly on the where the insulation is to be used and the type of insulation required, whether it’s rigid, flexible or loose fibre.
Rigid insulation is particularly good for insulating walls and for use over or under rafters in roofs. Because the insulation does not need to be supported within timbers, a continuous layer of insulation can be achieved which eliminates thermal bridging. The most common rigid insulation is wood fibre or cork. Wood fibre is more widely available and cost efficient. Cork is also becoming a popular choice.
Thermafleece British sheep’s wool is the most widely used flexible insulation in the UK, with flexible wood fibre and hemp also common. Flexible insulation is formed by combining natural fibres with a small about of binder fibre, which holds the insulation together and prevents slumping. This type of thermally bonded insulation is very durable and retains full breathability as the natural fibres are fully exposed to the surrounding air. The choice of fibre type largely depends on personal preference and cost, sheep’s wool often being the lowest cost NFI option. Flexible NFI can also be used in walls providing it is held within a timber stud frame.
When it comes to upgrading the thermal performance of existing buildings, it is important to look at each property on its own merits. The choice and availability of natural fibre insulation has never been greater. With established technologies and expertise within the UK, suppliers are able to provide comprehensive support to clients and professionals to ensure the most appropriate products and systems for each building.
Mark Lynn is managing director of Cumbria-based Eden Renewable Innovations and vice-chair of the Alliance for Sustainable Building Products (ASBP).
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Natural Fibre Insulation recommended by The Environmental Audit Committee
The latest report from The Environmental Audit Committee’s (EAC) on the Energy Efficiency of Existing Homes has been published, with welcome recommendations on incentivising the use of natural fibre insulation materials.
The enquiry found a number of inadequacies within the sector and called for overhauls of the Green Homes Grant – which was subsequently scrapped on the 31st March – and Energy Performance Certificates (EPC). The report also recommends reductions in VAT rates for energy saving refurbishment materials and notes a ‘chronic shortage of skills in the home retrofit sector’.
Particular emphasis is weighed on the anticipated publication of the Government’s Heat and Buildings Strategy to ‘provide clarity and inspire confidence in the sector’.
With reference to sustainable construction materials and natural fibre insulation (NFI), the report states (p54):
The technology to improve the energy efficiency of homes already exists, although some measures such as solid wall insulation need cost reductions in order to scale up their use at pace. Unlike other sectors where technologies need to develop to facilitate carbon reduction on scale, energy efficient housing can be put in place immediately. * Mark Lynn, from Eden Renewable Innovations Ltd, told us that sustainable bio-based and breathable products and systems could provide many energy efficient, healthy, and sustainable improvements to existing homes but had been under-utilised in the UK to date despite being well established in other major European countries. Sustainable products include insulation made using natural fibres, breathable mineral, clay and lime-based plasters, renders, mortars, and paints as well as structural components made predominantly from timber. Bio-based materials such as sheep’s wool or wood sequester non-fossil carbon, while lime-based renders, plasters and mortars have lower embodied carbon compared to equivalent cementitious materials due to the lower energy inputs during manufacture.
Natural fibre insulation (NFI) is highly suitable for use in the older, traditional properties of which there are eight million in the UK. It provides greater breathability which helps with humidity and damp issues. NFI use, in new build and retrofit alike, accounts for between 0.2 and 0.3 per cent of the UK insulation market at contractors’ prices. By contrast, in France and Germany, its market penetration is at between five and ten per cent.* Mark Lynn explained that France had mandated the use of natural materials, with a requirement for 50 per cent natural materials in public buildings, by 2022. He added that this was highly ambitious, and the UK could not make this sort of mandate because the capacity to supply was not adequate at present. Except for sheep’s wool, all natural fibre insulation is imported from mainland Europe to the UK. Brian Berry from the Federation of Master Builders said that the availability of sustainable insulation materials was an issue and there were concerns about some products and availability post-covid and post- Brexit.
The committee’s conclusions and recommendations (p61) were:
Sustainable building materials are not being utilised to anywhere like their full potential in the UK. The use of natural fibre insulation could have significant benefits for the UK’s older housing stock.
We recommend that within its Heat and Buildings Strategy, the Government consider stipulating the use of sustainable materials in public sector energy efficiency contracts as a first incentive to drive the UK’s domestic supply chain of these materials.
Addendum: On the 25th March, The Environmental Audit Committee launched a call for evidence for sustainability of the built environment: The Committee is accepting submissions to its questions in the call for evidence until 16 May 2021.
In a packed programme shown on Sunday 14th March, Countryfile explored 48 hours of hectic lambing action whilst reporter Tom Heap visited British Wool in an attempt to find a solution to the mountains of wool piling up in warehouses across the country.
As demand for British Wool carpets has declined – a direct result of covid _19 according to Acting British Wool CEO Andrey Hogley – it is imperative that alternative, viable uses for wool are found.
Thermafleece MD Mark Lynn explores this issue in his blog on our Website – ‘We should promote the benefits of British wool as a fantastic high-quality raw material worthy of many high value end-uses. Insulation is a great end-use for coarse dark wool and other low grades of which there is plenty. But we should focus on higher value end-uses for higher quality wool rather than insulation. British wool is one of the best materials in the world. It produces high quality durable, functional and beautiful products compared to man-made fibres or wools of other origins. And that’s where the wool industry’s efforts need to be.’
Watch the Countryfile Lambing Special on BBC Iplayer here
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SupaSoft Recycled Plastic bottle Insulation –
Adding to the warm atmosphere at Appleby Hub
Since 2015 Appleby Hub, located in the former Methodist chapel on Chapel Street, Appleby, Cumbria has been providing a community café serving homemade artisan wholefoods, a second-hand book shop, together with a great variety of community groups and classes all with a focus on creativity and well-being
With the onset of Covid_19 and the Hub unable to operate as a café and meeting place, a food and craft delivery service ‘Hub on Wheels’ was devised. Whilst working with The Fellside Flower Company to deliver bunches of flowers as they go around the area, the hub also supply their range of artisan breads and cakes to other businesses in the town, helping to keep the wheels of Appleby turning and a venture which Manager Sarah Jones is hoping will continue once the lockdown ceases.
It was earlier in the year, before Covid_19, that The Hub received the Green small business certification of which they are very proud. The certification process together with a site visit from the GSB team brought to attention the lack of effective insulation in the Hub loft area. Looking for local suppliers, Sarah contacted Eden Renewable Innovations Ltd, based in Dacre. ERI is the brainchild of owner Christine Armstrong and best known locally for their Thermafleece range of sheep’s wool insulation however Eri also manufacture an insulation made from recycled plastic bottles; SupaSoft Insulation. A safe to handle, safe to install, none itch insulation which Christine felt would fit in perfectly with the Hub’s Green Business credentials.
A total of 72 packs of SupaSoft, the equivalent of 57600 waste plastic bottles not going to landfill) were delivered at the beginning of June and have now been installed by local firm Nathan Richardson Joinery, turning the loft into a SupaSoft Winter wonderland,
‘I’m so grateful to Eden Renewables.’ says Sarah, ‘Just like everybody we’ve had a difficult financial start to the year and being toasty warm and saving on heating bills this winter will be greatly appreciated. SupaSoft is a lovely product too, so much kinder than the old-fashioned fibre glass insulation and very in keeping with our environmental values.’
Christine was originally introduced to The Hub by late friend Eddie Kay, who would use it as a meeting place to enjoy coffee with friends and says: ‘The Hub is a great example of just how a Community Interest Company can become such a central point of focus. We at ERI were pleased that we could provide a solution to another local company so in-keeping with their green credentials and helping add to the warm atmosphere for which the Hub is so well known’
Appleby Hub is owned by the Oakleatrust and run by subsidiary right2work , a CIC (Community Interest Company)
Further information on The Hub or SupaSoft information can be found at:
Wells Shepherd Huts the Shepherd’s Hut manufacturing company located in the beautiful countryside within the Ribble Valley pride themselves on their use of traditional craftsmanship in the manufacture and refurbishment of bespoke handcrafted Shepherd’s Huts.
Co-owner and founder Ian Wells has been interested in joinery since he was five years old. From leaving school Ian worked for local joinery companies over a number of years, gaining skills and experience across all areas of joinery, but in 2007 he decided to break away and started to forge his own company.
Wells Shepherd Huts has grown from a simple idea that the Victorian shepherd’s huts on cast iron wheels that farmers used when tending to their flocks of sheep, could be transformed into these beautiful contemporary and fully insulated structures that we produce today.
“Our ethos, at Wells Shepherd Hut’s, is to use as much as possible sustainable, renewable and locally sourced materials in the manufacture of our hut’s. We would not want to use anything else other than Thermafleece sheep wool insulation. Thermafleece have been fantastic in providing us, here at Wells shepherd huts, with a complete range of information and choice to suit our hut builds. Their products are reasonably priced and are of a very high-quality. The benefits of using Thermafleece sheep wool product far out way any man-made products both thermally and acoustically.
We feel it is very fitting to give something back to the Shepherd’s huts by using the sheep wool insulation, not only as the wool is from a sustainable source and to give it a value once again, but because the iconic shepherd’s huts once allowed the farmers to support the sheep.” – Joanne Wells
The designs of the shepherd’s huts the company produce are based around the proportions left behind from the Victorian’s and their shepherd’s huts. These wriggly tined, curved roofed structures that have the cast iron wheels set outside of the body of the hut can be called a shepherd hut. This contrasts with the living van that has cast or sometimes tyre wheels set underneath the body. These living vans were used by road workers and were generally moved along the roads by traction engines.
All of the huts are bespoke, and Wells Shepherd’s Huts can manufacture from 12ft right up to 24ft, but these sizes are not fixed and the ideas for a dream shepherd’s hut can be endless. Whether it is for a spare room to your home, a holiday business venture, home office in the garden, art studio or a hide away. They have designed a hut for a nail salon and another as a pop-up bar.
The most recent hut build is the 12ft Vintage writer’s hut. This originally was an actual working example of the Victorian Shepherd’s hut, with a date carved into one of the timbers of 1881. The hut was originally purchased for a renovation project, but when dismantling began it quickly came to light a new timber chassis was required. So the company replicated the original one and we able to re-use the 1881 black smith made ironwork along with the cast iron wheels.
After long discussions amongst the team on finishing designs and colours they agreed on a black curved tin roof, mushroom wriggly tin exterior with matching paint finish windows and stable door. But Ian was set on the interior being similar to the original hut. This would be a smooth sawn feel to the interior wall cladding, finished with a patina finish to give an aged look. With Thermafleece sheep wool insulated floor, roof and walls, a chocolate oak floor, the mushroom coloured windows with a long wall supported desk and easily placed electric power points. The Vintage writer’s hut was born.
Your Questions Answered:
Do I need Planning permission to install a shepherd’s hut?
To install a shepherd’s hut is relatively easy. There is generally no planning permission needed as they are a movable item, but we always ask yourlocal council first.
What access is required?
Access of 9ft wide and 15ft high is needed to manoeuvre huts to their location.
Can the Shepherd’s huts be sited on grass?
The ground must be level and a hard surface, not soil or grass to house the shepherd’s hut as they are heavy.
Can I have electricity in the hut? Yes, an electric power source if needed although solar power systems are an option.
What about waste and water?
Water and, or waste systems i.e. septic tanks or mains sewer if needed. Compost toilets are very popular as no system is needed.
Wells Shepherd’s huts can produce a feasibility plan to provide customers with a plan of action.
Mark Lynn & Katherine Adams (ASBP)
STBA/SPAB conference – London 11th June
ASBP Mission: To accelerate the transformation to a healthy, low carbon built environment by championing the use of demonstrably sustainable building products.’ With this in mind Mark Lynn Vice Chair of the ASBP and Managing Director of Eden Renewable Innovations Ltd together with ASBP Technical and research Associate Katherine Adams addressed the STBA/SPAB conference on the thorny subject of Plastics in Construction, held in London on the 11th June.
The construction industry accounts for 23% of all plastic used and produces 3 x more packaging waste than all UK households combined. Plastics are used in a myriad of forms within the industry, including PS, PIR, PUR and PET for insulation, PVC for windows, doors, ducting, drainage & pipework, cables and polythene and Polypropylene for membranes, and with global demand for construction products expected to more than double by 2050 it is imperative that the industry addresses the use of plastics whilst engaging the supply chain on alternatives for construction products and packaging.
Thermafleece wins Build Magazine Award
Thermafleece the sheep’s wool insulation from Dacre based company Eden Renewable Innovations Ltd has won the 2019 Build Magazine’s Award for ‘Most Innovative in Home Insulation Solutions’.Megan Cashmore, Build’s Features Executive said: “We are delighted to announce that Thermafleece has been recognised in Build’s 2019 Design and Build Awards.Read More
The Awards are our way of endorsing and recommending the most promising and best performing firms across all sectors of the architecture, construction building and interior design, and each recipient is hand-picked through a strictly merit-based process of research and analysis. This approach ensures that the accolade is given to those who truly deserve it, with a level playing field for all, from independent tradespeople to multinational corporations.”Of the award Managing Directory Mark Lynn said: “Innovation is at the heart of our business so it’s great to be recognised in this category. The many roles building insulation plays is gaining greater recognition so it’s vital products like Thermafleece are available that offer greater all round performance”.
Thermafleece stars in Coronation Street factory collapse
Producers used thermafleece CosyWool Slab as the insulation of choice in the recent factory roof collapse stunt of Coronation Street. The episode which has left the residents reeling and claimed the life of character Rana Habeeb featured CosyWool throughout the episode. 4 packs were sent out to the Coronation Street Design Department in readiness for the stunt which was aired on the 20th March.
See the aftermath of the collapse at https://www.itv.com/coronationstreet.
Thermafleece – Made in Yorkshire using British Wool
Thermafleece, proud of their British farming heritage and the only sheep’s wool insulation company with products made in the UK exclusively using the coarse coloured wool from British Hill sheep which would otherwise go to waste.
In fact thermafleece are so proud of it that they have joined ‘Made in Britain’ – an organisation which aims to bring together the entire manufacturing community in Britain, united with the use of the registered collective mark, so businesses can benefit in sales, marketing, exports and PR and consumers at home and abroad are able to easily identify British-made products. FInd out more about Made in Britain at the website https://www.madeinbritain.org/
SupaSoft, proud to have played a part in Bowman’s Lea – ASBP Award Winner
The winners of the inaugural ASBP Awards were announced at the ASBP’s Healthy Buildings Conference and Expo which took place on 28th February
OVERALL WINNER AND THE PEOPLE’S CHOICE: Bowman’s Lea Harry Paticas, Arboreal Architecture
Insulation – An intergral part of the building fabric
The Campaign for Wool recently visited Eden Renewable Innovations base in the Lake District to see just how thermafleece sheep’s wool insulation is made from start to finish. See why sheep’s wool insulation is the perfect choice for your home. Watch the video at byff.ly/2L3wsUa
Insulation – consider your options
The right insulation for an old building has been much debated over the years. Most period homes were built in the days before cavity walls and modern insulating materials and adding an extra layer can be a delicate balancing act – get it right, and you will be warm and comfortable, but get it wrong and your home could be damp from condensation, and you could even damage the building fabric. By Melanie Griffiths – Period Living June 2018 – The right way to insulate an old building
Period homes are often through of as being draughty, and air leakage is responsible for as much as a third of a building’s heat loss. While reducing draughts by sealing up gaps and adding seamless insulation layers is key to making a house feel warmer, in order to prevent condensation it’s important that materials are breathable and ideally able to help control humidity in the atmosphere.
Insulation products made of natural materials work especially well with old buildings. ‘Natural fibres are truly breathable and can help buffer humidity levels, holding moisture in a less harmful way.’ Says Mark Lynn, managing director of Eden Renewable Innovations and a director of the Alliance for Sustainable Building Products. ‘This is particularly important in older homes, where ventilation and humidity levels may be problematic.’
Although natural products cost more than many mainstream options, they are renewable and can even help reduce the levels of indoor pollution. However, don’t overlook man-made insulation as there are some extremely effective, breathable products that are suitable for period homes. Often the best solution is to employ a mix of materials – consult an expert with experience of old properties.
Where to insulate:
LOFTS:
If your loft is not currently insulated, then tackling it should be your first priority – it’s the easiest area to insulate and considering up to a quarter of an un-insulated home’s heat is lost through the roof, it’s an important one, too.
The most cost – effective solution is a ‘cold’ roof, where the insulation is laid on top of the ceilings of the rooms below. This is usually done by layering quilts or batts of insulation between and over the joists. Alternatively, loose-fill insulation, which fills all the gaps, can be used. It’s important to maintain ventilation paths at the edge of the roof to avoid condensation, which can rot the timbers.
If you want to convert the loft into a living space, you will need a ‘warm’ roof, where the roof itself is insulated. If reroofing is taking place, you could insulate above the rafters, although this will raise the roof height. The other option is to insulate between or below the rafters, or a combination of both. A variety of materials can be used, but its important to maintain an air gap beneath the tiles.
WALLS:
It is estimated that 35 per cent of an uninsulated building’s heat can be lost through the alls, but this is disruptive to address. Homes build before 1920 had solid walls, as opposed to including a cavity that can be filled with insulation. Solid walls can be insulated either internally or externally – but both solutions involve covering the existing wall finish, which can mean the loss of period features.
For internal walls, rigid insulation boards can be applied, or a stud wall constructed and filled with soft insulation. Plaster is then applied over the top. This inevitably affects existing skirtying and cornicing. To Insulation external walls, a layer of insulation is applied and covered with lime render or other cladding. This can totally change the look of a house and affect elements such and overhangs, windowsills and door openings, so is not suitable for the beautiful facades of many period homes.
FLOORS:
Around 10 per cent of a property’s heat is lost through the floors, of which there are two types: solid or suspended timber. Solid floors are in direct contact with the ground, so without lifting them it is difficult to add insulation, but topping them with breathable, natural carpets, such as wool or coir, will help. Avoid rubber-backed designs. If the original floor has preciously been replaced with concrete and includes a damp-proof membrane, then laying a floating wood floor on top can improve thermal performance. If there are damp problems with a concrete floor, consider replacing it with limecrete, made of breathable lime and aggregate.
Suspended floors are straightforward to insulate where there is access from below, such as a cellar. Quilt- type insulation can be fitted between the joists, supported with netting. Insulating from above involves lifting floorboards, so think twice if the floor is of historical value. If you do disturb the boards, lift a small number at a time. A variety of soft, insulating materials can be sed. Supported by nets of rigid materials can rest on timber battens.
DRAUGHT PROOFING
Alongside insulating, it’s important to address gaps, as heat is easily lost through them. The Energy Saving Trust estimates that simply filling gaps can save up to £40 per room, per year on bills. Open chimneys are easy to block off with an inflatable Chimney Balloon or removable Chimney Sheep, while gaps between floorboards can be sealed with discreet strips, such as StopGap or DraughtEx.
Narrow gaps around windows and doors can create draughts as well as rattling noises. Avoid silicone sealants and instead use draught strips, which can be removed in the future if required. If you have single glazed windows that make a room feel cold, look at fitting secondary glazing.
The Materials BLANKETS AND FLEECES:
Soft batts or rolls of insulation are easy to fit between joists, studs and rafters. The cheapest option is glass or mineral wool, which has good thermal and sound insulating properties, but is irritating to skin. Sheep’s wool, such as Thermafleece, is a good alternative with advantages including being kind to skin and enhanced breathability and sound absorption. ‘Sheep’s wool is made from keratin, which can absorb and release more moisture and even remove indoor air pollutants,’ says Mark Lynn.
The other fleece option is hemp, a sustainable plant crop that is more breathable than mineral wool, can absorb up to 20 per cent of its weight in water and absorb noxious gas. If space is tight, look at Thermablok Aerogel, available in blankets and boards, which uses NASA-developed technology to eliminate cold bridging (which impacts on efficiency) while being breathable. It’s super thin – just a 10mm thickness can increase the insulation factor of a solid wall by up to 67 per cent.
RIGID BOARDS AND FOAMS:
There are a range of board options, the most common being ‘closed cell’ foam slabs, such as PIR (polyisocyanurate) PUR (polyurethane) and phenolic. Most are impervious to moisture. For a natural option, look at wood fibre board, which is made from timber waste, so is largely renewable and recyclable, has some humidity control and offers good acoustic performance. Boards need to be fitted together tightly, but avoid in awkward area’s as cutting around details without gaps is tricky.
SPRAY-ON AND LOOSE FILL:
Ideal for filling every nook and cranny, these insulations form a seamless layer. Cellulose, such as from Thermofloc, is a loose-fill option made form recycled newspaper. It can be poured in place or blown into voids and gaps. It’s eco-friendly, breathable and gives food acousitic and thermal properties, and is suitable for roofs, floors and walls. Also look at lysnene, a spray-on insulation with an ‘open cell’ composition that, on application, expands 100-fold in seconds to seal all gaps, service holes and hard to reach spaces
Period Living June 2018
Feature: Melanie Griffiths
Illustrations: Sarah Overs
Contacts:
Eden Renewable Innovations Ltd, Thermafleece, Natrahemp and SupaSoft (recycled plastic bottle) insulation
www.thermafleece.com
Sales & General Enquiries: 01768 486285
