Environmental Sustainability

Reduce Space Heating Demand and go zero ODP
It is widely recognised that there are four main global sustainability issues: global warming, non-renewable resource depletion, toxic pollution and ozone depletion, and that these global issues far outweigh any local sustainability issues in their need for immediate attention and potential impact from inaction.

Recent studies have shown that the first three issues are essentially one. The extraction and consumption (burning) of fossil fuels is by far the most significant contributor to global warming, non-renewable resource depletion and toxic pollution.

In the UK 60% of fossil fuels are used to heat buildings and half of this is housing. Therefore as far as housing is concerned environmentally sustainability comes down to two main issues: reduce fossil fuel use and specify zero ODP products.

By far the most economical method of reducing fossil fuel use in housing is to reduce space heating demand. The investment for renewable energy sources only becomes convincing once space heating demand is minimised as capital costs are prohibitive to most.

There are two main methods of reducing space-heating demand: reduce heat losses through the building fabric and reduce heat losses from unintentional air-leakage.

The former has been the subject of Building Regulation for 30 years but still has a long way to go before an optimum level is attained. It is estimated that U-values of 0.10 W/m²·K would be the practical optimum.

Building Regulations / Standards are only starting to attend to the issue of air-leakage, which becomes more significant an effect as U-values are reduced, but it is likely that Building Regulations / Standards will come to focus more on air-tight constructions over the coming years as U-values and energy performance move closer to the optimum.

Reduce Landfill
The UK construction industry generates at least 70 million tonnes of waste per annum. In addition to this, it is estimated that 13% of materials that go to site never get used and go straight into the waste stream. The key issue here is the land for landfill, which is fast running out. The government is currently dealing with this by imposing increasingly heavy landfill taxes. However, a number of EU countries have already instigated a landfill ban on combustible and recyclable materials.

Reduce Transport
Traditional construction methods often require delivery of components to site from many different manufacturers or distributors. This can often mean numerous deliveries to site increasing congestion, noise and traffic pollution (which is strictly a global issue), but all of which can have a major impact on the environment.

Minimum Space Heating, Zero ODP & Low GWP
The Kingspan TEK Building System can reduce space heating demands not only by achieving U-values of 0.22 W/m²·K as standard and down to 0.10 W/m²·K with additional insulation but also by achieving air-tightness as low as 0.08 air changes per hour at normal pressures or 0.91 air changes per hour at 50 Pa. Further information on how this performance helps to reduce space-heating demand can be found in the Heating Systems section.

The Kingspan TEK Building System panels are produced in a continuous zero Ozone Depletion Potential (CFC/HCFC-free) process.

NB: the OSB/3 facings of the panels are manufactured from the routine thinnings from managed plantations

Minimal Landfill
The Kingspan TEK Building System is factory manufactured meaning there is minimal site wastage and therefore more efficient use of materials on-site. The minimal levels of site wastage means less landfill which also helps to reduce cost.

Less Transport
The complete Kingspan TEK Building System scheme (e.g. panels and ancillaries) comes from one source. Therefore there is less impact on the environment from congestion, noise and traffic pollution because fewer lorries are travelling to and from sites.