The Sustainability Consortium: Making Carbon-Free Living a Reality (Carbon Free Group)

The Sustainability ConsortiumMaking Zero-Carbon Living a Reality

va-Q-vipB

VIP U-Value (K = 0.006 W/mK) Mineral Wool

20 mm 0.285 W/m2K - 125mm 30 mm 0.193 W/m2K - 190mm 40 mm 0.146 W/m2K - 250mm

• Floor• Internal & External Walls• Roof terrace

va-Q-vip+ & va-Q-tile

va-Q-vip+ • With a lifetime thermal conductivity λ

0.006W/mK this is the highest performing insulation in the world today.

• It has many possible applications including the insulation of:

• Floors, Internal & External Walls, Roof terrace, Thermal Shutters, Insulation of Light Steel Frame Structures and Modular buildings

va-Q-tile• The va-Q-tile is a va-Q-vip+ specifically

designed for the renovation market.• It has been specifically designed to

adhere to a wall and accept a direct render application making it possible to renovate a cavity wall building to Passivehouse standard in just 47mm.

Eco-I panel

• The eco-i panel Spandrel Panel provides revolutionary benefits as a niche product in the UK for the architectural and curtain walling markets. This new design of spandrel panel is available exclusively in the UK and provides both thermal performance and aesthetics that are unmatched in the curtain walling and architectural sectors.

• Eco-i panel can provide up to passivhaus levels of insulation (U Value < 0.15 W/m2K) in a 44mm thick panel.

PV-T (Photovoltaic Thermal)

What is a PV-T (Hybrid) Solar Collector ?

A PV-T collector is a combined assembly of:

•A PV Module•A flat plate solar thermal collector heat exchanger - for the conversion of thermal energy•Besides heat extraction for supplying heat the absorber system has a second function:• The heat-absorbing and cooling of the PV-module.• Because of this a higher voltage output is obtained. (between 20% and 40% dependant on geographical location)

Photovoltaic Thermal (PV-T)• Photovoltaics are semiconductors so

have one draw back, degradation in performance due to temperature.

• At 120ºC temperature the system will producing as little as 1% of its maximum output rendering it useless for a large part of the day on a normal British summers day.

• By regulating panel temperature using a fluid cooling system this can be overcome a balanced system can be produced trading off between PV efficiency and Thermal Output.

• Using this principle it is possible to obtain up to 25% higher electrical yield under normal British weather conditions.

Total Solar Energy Systems

• Total Solar Energy Systems can provide significantly more thermal energy than that required by a Passivhaus.

•In some cases achieving the Passivhaus standard is unnecessary and therefore opens opportunities for value engineering of key components such as glazing, air tightness detailing or insulation. Passive solar gain may also be less relevant.

Open (aquifer) system.

With this system water heated by the collector is pumped straight into the ground.

As a result the ground / groundwater is heated and a so-called “heat bubble” is created With a temperature of up to about 32°C (NT ± 20°C).

What is Geothermal storage?

Borehole system.

In this system the transport medium, heated by the collector, is circulated, during which the heat is transferred to the adjacent storage medium (groundwater or ground).

When needed this heat can be withdrawn. This “borehole” system is suitable for higher temperatures than the “aquifer” system (up to 80ºC).

There is a distinction between normal storage (up to a depth 50 metres), and deeper storage (over 50 metres up to 150 metres)

Phase Change Material Thermal Stores

A PCM heat store is a latent energy storage system ideal for domestic and commercial installations.

The store will effectively improve boiler efficiency by up to 70% and maximise the solar gain from solar collectors.

With 4 times the energy efficiency of water, a PCM energy store allows heat to be stored for longer periods in a smaller area compared with normal hot water storage systems.

With the use of a PCM heat storage system it is possible to extend the useful period of solar thermal from 5 to 9 months, reducing the dependency on secondary heat sources such as gas condensing boilers.

The result is that PCM stores can act as instantaneous water heaters in a PV-T Solar Energy System

Voltage Optimisation• The technology trims the voltage

drawn from the national grid.

• Electrical Energy savings of between 8% and 18% are achievable.

• Average payback periods less than 3 years.

Voltage Optimisation

Voltage Optimisation

Redefining renewable technology, by providing cost effective solutions, through the adoption of appropriate

technology and value engineering.

The Sustainability ConsortiumMaking Zero-Carbon Living a Reality