Delivering low energy and low carbon buildings

The focus of today's governments, property owners, designers and constructors is to build environmentally sustainable buildings. Improving the thermal performance of the building envelope and fabric is the easiest, most immediate and cost-effective way to reduce running energy costs and carbon emissions. Kingspan have the capability to deliver insulated building envelope and fabric solutions, including building integrated renewable power and heat technologies, that exceed existing and meet future 'zero-carbon' legislative requirements, across global markets.

Whole lifecycle solutions

1. Embodied energy (8-10%) is the quantity of energy required to manufacture, and supply to the point of use, a product, material or service.

2. Operational energy (82-86%) refers to all energy required to run a building, i.e., energy use for fixed building services including heating, hot water, lighting, pumps and fans and all other appliances.

3. Deconstruction (6-8%) is the selective dismantlement of building components, specifically for re-use, recycling, and waste management.

Environmentally sustainable buildings

Cradle to cradle - Kingspan systems significantly contribute to achieving green points and credits for environmentally sustainable buildings, from design through to deconstruction (end of life).

The Kingspan portfolio of systems is compliant with the highest rating classifications published by the world leading Building Research Establishment's Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) and the World Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™.

Legislation - the route to zero carbon

The European Union, and its member countries, are committed to a target of all new buildings being zero carbon rated by 2020. The UK Government has already implemented global leading environmentally sustainable legislation to ensure all new buildings deliver real reductions in key areas such as energy consumption, carbon emissions and water use.

Reducing energy is the key factor to achieving the reduced carbon emission targets established at Kyoto by the European Community and other countries. The USA is investing billions of dollars into renewable energy technologies and their application. This is driven by an overriding national interest for a secure, economic and reliable supply of energy.

Additionally many countries, including the USA, have embraced the World Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™ to deliver green and sustainable buildings.

Points are awarded as follows:

LEED Certified : 26-32 points
Silver : 33-38 points
Gold : 39-51 points
Platinum : 52-69 points

The charts below illustrate the UK Government's steps for future new-build carbon emission targets, over and above current building codes, through to zero carbon.
Kingspan provide solutions for both non-residential buildings and The Code for Sustainable Homes (residential buildings) up to zero carbon - today.

The route to zero carbon

UK indicative CO₂ energy reductions

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