We recently spoke to Chris Ridge from the Thermal Insulation Contractors Association (TICA) regarding the future of the thermal insulation industry. We discussed the importance of thermal insulation as a “low hanging fruit” for decarbonisation and looked at some of the initiatives that are helping to drive positive change.

When discussing our national drive to reach Net Zero by 2050, a large amount of our bandwidth is taken up with discussions concerning the switch to electric vehicles and deployment of heat pumps. I asked Chris whether we should be broadening the conversation to other solutions.

“Absolutely!” Chris said “Thermal insulation of pipework could and should be playing a key role in our national decarbonisation plans. However, thermal insulation is often no more than an afterthought.”

A report by the European Industrial Insulation Foundation (EiiF) indicates that the  national insulation savings potential for improving insulation solutions in the UK’s industrial sector alone is 1.183 ktoe - equivalent to the annual energy consumption of 863,000 households or 1.7 million cars:

European Industrial Insulation Foundation Insulation Fact Sheet

“The problem is not restricted to the industrial sector though.” Chris continued. “Poorly insulated plant rooms and pipework systems are the forgotten energy thieves operating in plain sight in our schools, hospitals, offices and pretty much every other building we live, work and play in.”

Commercial Refrigeration – improving insulation standards

Chris has also been working with Lawrence Leask from Kaizen Energy to highlight the issues of poorly insulated pipework in the commercial refrigeration market. By focusing solely on marginal gains in plant and equipment, specifiers and installers are often diverting their attention away from areas of real change. In this regard, thermal insulation of pipework is the genuine low hanging fruit.

When considering the right insulation material for the job, the longevity of the material will play a crucial role. For refrigeration and domestic projects, upgrading a standard flexible foam insulant to a clearly identifiable UV resistant one should be the absolute minimum requirement for any externally located pipework.

Non-UV resistant elastomeric foam insulation will quickly degrade and lose thermal performance.

Conclusion

“Ultimately, we must accept that people are not currently getting what they have paid for” Chris says. “Clients are losing energy and losing money. If we look at the big picture, we can see that the UK is bleeding energy and that poorly insulated pipework is the metaphorical “death by a thousand cuts”. This needs to be resolved if we are serious about our national Net Zero ambitions.”

“A focus on strong specifications, good installation practice and ongoing care will make a huge difference over time of course. However, this will not solve the immediate legacy problem we are currently facing. To solve that, we are going to have to get onto our roof spaces and into our plant rooms and tackle the situation head on.”

Advanced Insulation Materials supportLawrence Leask and Chris Ridge in their campaign to raise awareness regarding the costs of poorly insulated pipework.

Their current plans include the publication of a White Paper for Government and social media campaigns #TheProofisontheRoof and #PlantRoomCrimeScene, highlighting the importance of ongoing thermal insulation inspections in often forgotten areas.