Kingspan Kooltherm Pipe Insulation has been fitted as part of Phase 4 of the North West Quarter regeneration project in South Kilburn.
The 225-home development is being delivered by Countryside Partnerships and the London Borough of Brent. To meet planning requirements, the development needed to achieve net zero carbon emissions (as defined within the London Plan) and effectively limit overheating risk. The specification of Kooltherm Pipe Insulation helped meet these requirements.
The development has been designed by Pollard Thomas Edwards and incorporates 95 council homes along with a further 130 homes for private buyers. Its design takes inspiration from surrounding Victorian mansion flats, and care has been taken to support occupant wellbeing with virtually all of the spacious homes featuring dual aspect windows.
As part of the major redevelopment plan, the project needed to meet the requirements within the London Plan for it to be ‘net zero carbon’. This required it to achieve a minimum 35% additional on-site reduction in CO2 emissions compared with a property built to Part L 2021 of the Building Regulations, with any remaining demand covered through carbon offset.
A range of measures have been implemented to help achieve this, including connecting the development to the South Kilburn District Heat Network. To limit heat losses from secondary pipework, Kooltherm Pipe Insulation was fitted on Low Temperature Hot Water (LTHW) and Boosted Cold Water Service (BCWS) pipework by Ace Thermal.
Kooltherm Pipe Insulation achieves a 25-year aged thermal conductivity as low as 0.025 W/mK (at 10 °C mean), making it one of the most thermally efficient insulation materials commonly used for insulating pipework. This performance made it possible for Ace Thermal to insulate all internal pipework to a high standard with a thinner thickness of insulation than would have been possible with lower performing alternatives, supporting ease of installation within service spaces.
Scott Bunyard, Director at Ace Thermal Insulation, comments: “Our team has completed all installations to programme working with the client. Kooltherm Pipe Insulation provided a straightforward solution to meeting the heat loss requirements across all of the LTHW and BCWS systems.
“Our work has also included fitting made-to-measure jackets on all risers throughout and insulating the substation and tank rooms in thicknesses up to 65 mm to further minimise heat losses.”
In addition to supporting the project in meeting its net-zero carbon commitments, the specification of Kooltherm Pipe Insulation was also important for limiting overheating risk. As part of the planning process, an analysis was carried out to CIBSE TM 59 assessment criteria to ensure that no corridors exceeded an operative temperature of 28°C for more than 3% of the total annual hours in a year.
Limiting heat losses from pipework within these areas was critical to passing this requirement. The overheating analysis showed that with the specified thickness of Kooltherm Pipe Insulation, all of the modelled corridors passed the requirements.
To support specifications, Kooltherm Pipe Insulation is available as a freely downloadable BIM file from NBS Source and an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) certificate can be downloaded from the Kingspan website.
To help project teams understand the impact of pipe insulation specifications on operating costs and carbon emissions, Kingspan Technical Insulation also offers the Kingspan Kooltherm Pipe Insulation Carbon Calculator. This free service allows specifiers to compare how the use of pipe insulation specifications to key standards, including BS 5422 enhanced thicknesses and CIBSE CP1, can impact operational emissions and costs. Click here to login or register for free.
With Kingspan Technical Insulation’s free Pipeline Technical Advisory Service, which is contactable on 0808 168 7363, clear advice and guidance can be accessed at every stage in a project.
