Energy retrofitting – monitoring and evaluation
Dr Nick Banks – Senior Development Manager
Centre for Sustainable Energy
Plant-based insulation materials – the future
Dr Judith Thornton – BEACON – Institute of Biological, Environmental & Rural Sciences (IBERS)
Aberystwyth University
Research and results – bio-aggregate retrofitting to existing masonry
Steven Cole – MSc student, Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT)
Aberystwyth University Visiting Researcher
The purpose behind traditional decorative Architectural detailing. The historic building fabric was designed and detailed to manage moisture vapour by successfully interacting with the atmosphere. Before modifying the original, the function and purpose of the existing form should first be fully understood.
Having visited a number of installations of this type, my initial impressions are that the system improves thermal comfort for occupants in three main ways.
It is undoubtedly the best hemp-lime application I have seen in several years. It is also one of the best wet-applied, breathable solid wall internal wall insulation systems I have seen, yet I believe it may be one of the cheapest. Well done Neighbourhood Construction
The BEACON project is supported by the European Regional Development Fund, through the Welsh Government, and the primary aim is to undertake company-relevant innovation and R&D in relation to biorefining and the low carbon economy. One of our interests is in plants as building products. This week, together with Neighbourhood Construction, we have been working on creating samples of breathable plasters containing plant materials, in order to investigate their thermal properties and their capacity to buffer moisture.
Early prototyping, testing transient hygrothermal performance analysis with extremes of moisture. Research requires double-loop learning and real-world collaboration.
