Staple Design – Gwilym GJ …think, design, build, enjoy, think, evolve…..

The path of most resistance – home insulation with no building science

I just met up with a fascinating French skier over in Wanaka for the season. Fred has been working in a building consultancy in Switzerland using some Swiss software to do building performance analysis. It is now mandatory in Switzerland to build to a minimum thermal performance and with the cost of energy high economically advantageous to go higher – they have a successful performance indicator called “Minergie” which offers benchmarking for thermal qualities as well as air and I think environmental impact of material used.

He showed me through the software he uses and it looks a little like the Australian Accurate. What is astonishing is the fact that people in, at least his part of, Europe are lapping up the idea of doing the science before proceeding on a costly build or refurbishment. Pretty much the opposite of my current experience in installing insulation in Wanaka through the Clean Heat and EECA schemes, people have a price point and beyond that their eyes glaze over. It isn’t that astonishing given his company expected to save people “at least 75% of their energy bill“. 75% !!

I have recently become conscious that in building and insulation details is everything, and that our perceived best practice in New Zealand lags that of Europe even further than I thought. Freds software has advanced wall and roof system modeling which includes structural timber/window frame  thermal bridging which allows efficiency focused design I haven’t yet seen in any buildings around Otago.

Ideally as part of my work at Energyhouse we could offer a comprehensive model for people to base their insulation and heating investment on. To investigate this further we have commissioned Fred to do a study of the Wastebusters shed and office/staffroom to provide a benchmark from which to make future spend decisions. I have talked ad nauseam for  ages about insulating the shed walls with recycled corrugated cardboard and the roof with NOVATherm – maybe now we’ll have a way to make a real, scientific, decision.