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The Revision of the UK Pipe Insulation Standard: - Its Likely Effect on Building Energy Efficiency and the Uptake of Highly Efficient Insulation Materials
Abstract
The UK Government has set an ambitious target of a 20% reduction in
CO2 emissions by 2010 based on a 1990 baseline. Since buildings
account for over 40% of current CO2 emissions, the revision of building
and building services insulation standards has been a high priority. The
previous UK pipe insulation standard (BS 5422 - 1990) was based on an
economic thickness methodology that resulted in thickness requirements
for different materials of unequal energy saving value.
The 2001 revision (BS 5422 - 2001) not only addresses this imbalance by
defining environmental thicknesses that deliver equivalent energy savings
but also increases the potential to reduce CO2 emissions by up to 5 million
tonnes per annum. To stimulate this potential, the UK Government has
introduced a tax incentive under the existing Capital Allowances scheme
to promote the widespread adoption of the new standard in both new build
and, more importantly, in renovation projects.
Just as importantly, the new standard highlights the true cost-effectiveness
of highly efficient insulation materials such as phenolic foam. Phenolic
foam had already gained more than a 15% market share in the UK pipe
insulation market prior to the recent changes to the standard on the basis
of its excellent thermal resistance and fire properties. However, previous
economic thickness models had promoted the use of less efficient
materials with a poorer level of energy saving being the result. With this
loophole now closed, the phenolic foam industry believes that its product
will receive the acclamation that it deserves - while helping the UK
Government to meet its own CO2 targets.
Citation
Ashford, P. (2002). The Revision of the UK Pipe Insulation Standard: - Its Likely Effect on Building Energy Efficiency and the Uptake of Highly Efficient Insulation Materials. Energy Systems Laboratory (http://esl.tamu.edu); Texas A&M University (http://www.tamu.edu). Available electronically from https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /5184.