EcoTherm offers a lifetime of thermal performance
The true environmental performance of rigid thermal insulation comes under the spotlight at EcoBuild, where leading manufacturer EcoTherm will be making a case for the whole life cycle approach to performance assessment. EcoTherm is a world-leading manufacturer of Polyurethane (PUR) and Polyisocyanurate (PIR) rigid insulation boards.
EcoTherm’s thinking is echoed in a recent article in The McKinsey Quarterly, ‘A cost curve for greenhouse gas emission’ that stated: “Almost a quarter of possible emission reductions would result from measures (such as better insulation in buildings) that carry no net life cycle cost.”
According to EcoTherm, this means that products must be manufactured with no detrimental effect on the environment; in-service insulation performance must be outstanding; there should be no deterioration in performance or need for replacement over the life of the building, and when the building reaches the end of its service life the insulation product should be easily recyclable. At the same time, the products must be appropriate for use with modern construction methods.
EcoTherm’s rigid PUR and PIR boards meet all of these requirements and are suitable for use in pitched or flat roofs, floors and cavity walls. No ozone-depleting chemicals are used in their manufacture and, where possible, environmentally accredited materials are used. All the timber used on EcoTherm’s EcoDeck boards, for example, comes from FSC (Forestry Stewardship Council) certified sources.
The most important characteristic of these boards is their insulation performance, EcoTherm ‘s boards offer a Lambda value of 0.023 W/mK, delivering better insulation per unit thickness than alternatives such as glass or mineral wool – allowing a thinner solution to give better insulating performance. At the same time, the boards are exceptionally light and rigid, making them easy to use on site and perfect for use in modern lightweight structures where the highest levels of insulation are required to compensate for low thermal mass.
EcoTherm boards are also extremely durable – with performance life that will almost certainly be longer than the life of the building. This means no additional energy is expended in removing or replacing the boards, transporting materials or manufacturing replacement materials.
As well as communicating their green credentials EcoTherm will be promoting the use of their Eco Metre product- which features 1 board for 4 applications. Their versatile board means 1 m² of roof simply requires 1 board whilst reducing cost, time, space and labour.
EcoTherm is one of Europe’s leading manufacturers of PUR and PIR boards for floors, cavity walls, flat roofs and pitched roofs. With production facilities across Europe, including two plants in Essex, the company supplies its product range in the UK through insulation distributors and builders’ merchants nationwide.