From Talk to Action – Taking the Carbon Out of School Construction

Talk about carbon reduction in the built environment isn’t always matched by action. One exception is education construction, where operational carbon is becoming a key consideration.

There are two significant reasons why operational carbon has a high profile in school building programmes. One is the DfE Output Specification, which sets demanding standards for energy efficiency.

The other is the simple economics of running a school budget and the choices that school leaders are faced with. There’s a huge difference between a school that uses £15,000 per month (and rising) of energy, and one that needs, say, £5,000. The gap is at least the equivalent of two experienced teachers plus overheads.

Thermal Conductivity

The importance placed on energy efficiency and operational carbon performance is moving procurement decisions in favour of MMC and timber-based building systems. One reason for this is thermodynamics.

The thermal conductivity of steel is around 50 W/mK. For wood the value is 0.12 w/mK. So it’s not hard to see why structural timber makes it easier to control the thermal performance of a building.

Likewise, depending on the density, the thermal conductivity of blockwork can be up to 16 times greater than woodfibre board. Using a SIP-based building system has major advantages. The thermal performance is inherent in the materials rather than relying on applying additional insulating treatments onsite.

Precision

To be certain of reducing operational carbon you need an airtight and thermally-efficient building envelope. As well as selecting the right materials you also need precision. This is something manufactured construction does exceptionally well.

You also have to be able to accurately model and control thermal bridging losses. Thermally efficient materials used within a modern manufactured construction environment offer the certainty that school building programmes need.

The Innovaré SIP-based building system has been used on over 100 school building projects. Working in partnership with architects and developers we’ve delivered measurable energy efficiency gains that more than meet the needs of the Output Specification and hard-pressed school operating budgets.

If you’d like to know more about low carbon education construction, contact (enquiries@innovaresystems.co.uk) or take a look at our resource centre.