5/12/2014 Passive House Insulation Case Study - Sustainable Energy Scotland

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Passive House Insulation, FifeThis is the first passive house in Scotland to be insulated with Warmcel 500

blown fibre. The project has been a tremendous success with energy

efficiency results which have helped the owner to achieve Gold Standard

Sustainability and Passivhaus certification.

Project Background

This fantastic new build in rural Fife was designed to provide a

sustainable home for the owner's retirement - with a focus on

minimising environmental impact and energy consumption.

Following a competitive tender, Sustainable Energy Scotland was appointed by

the owner to install Warmcel 500 into the house frame. Find out more about our

involvement in the project and the Passive house movement by reading our blog.

Wall Insulation

Mid-Floor Insulation

Loft Insulation

Assessment & Recommendation

We completed a full technical survey of the property and

provided recommendations to maximise efficiency of the

proposed insulation measures.

Recommended measures

We advised that a closed panel system should be adopted to ensure that there

would be no slump in the insulation.

Warmcel Insulation was selected - made from recycled newsprint with a Global

Warming Potential of -1.5. We worked closely with Warmcel manufacturer, Excel

Fibre, to plan the best solution to reach the 65kg per m3 density Passivhaus

standards.

5/12/2014 Passive House Insulation Case Study - Sustainable Energy Scotland

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Implementation

Roof and Wall Insulation

The 10 day install saw approximately 18.5 tonnes of Warmcel 500 injected

into closed panels throughout the building.

A depth of 450mm was installed to all external walls and the roof.

Two mid floor cassettes and all internal partitions were also fully insulated with Warmcel 500.

Warmcel manufacturer, Excel Fibre, provided technical engineer support on site, completing

frequent core samples and density checks.

Energy Efficiency Rating Achieved Environmental Impact (CO2) Rating Achieved

5/12/2014 Passive House Insulation Case Study - Sustainable Energy Scotland

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Results Summary

The building has been awarded a Gold Standard Sustainability certificate and achieved

Passivhaus standard with air tightness being recorded at just 0.34 air changes per hour

(Passivhaus requirements allow up to 0.6).

'A' ratings were achieved for both running costs and carbon emissions - the average Scottish home is rated

'D'.

When we visited in winter, the client was able to report that no heating had been turned on to date. The

buidling retains heat beautifully and is naturally warm and comfortable despite its generous room dimensions

and exposed location. An added benefit of the Warmcel installation to the internal walls and floors is its

acoustic performance.

"I'd have no hesitation in

recommending Sustainable

Energy Scotland, they were first

class. The Warmcel installation

went very well - no issues at all.

We discovered a few voids that

had been missed, but the guys

came back straight away to

attend."

Shaun Kerr, Project Manager

© 2014 by Sustainable Energy Scotland, Nobel Road, Wester Gourdie Industrial Estate, Dundee, DD2 4XE