Insulated panels and achieving BREEAM ratings

Insulated panel systems can help achieve BREEAM ratings of Excellent, or even Outstanding, primarily through the reduction of CO₂ emissions. They do this by providing a highly energy efficient building envelope in terms of both insulation and airtightness. Panels are available which can achieve U-values as low as 0.16 W/m².K, with excellent insulation continuity and minimal cold bridging also contributing to the overall thermal performance.

Another key element is the very low level of air leakage that can be achieved - factory engineered joints make sure that an air tightness of 5m³/hr/m² or better is commonplace, whilst figures lower than 2m³/hr/m² have also been achieved.

These attributes can provide an excellent starting point for the long term conservation of energy and the achievement of optimum BREEAM credits, with the assurance of a durable, high performing building envelope.

What is BREEAM?
The Building Research establishment's Environmental Assessment Method, or BREEAM, is one of the most fully developed and widely used environmental assessment tool for buildings in the world. It takes building design and construction performance above and beyond the regulatory requirements to provide a widely recognised benchmark of sustainable best practice.

The aims behind BREEAM are to provide recognition of that best practice, to encourage design that reduces the impact of buildings on the environment, and to raise awareness of and facilitate more sustainable lifestyles. BREEAM ratings therefore represent highly regarded third party accreditation of construction standards.

How does it work?
Ten categories of sustainability are assessed and within each of these categories a number of issues are examined. For example, under the Energy category, credits are awarded for construction that allows low CO₂ emissions, employs low or zero carbon technologies, energy sub metering and energy efficient building systems such as insulated panels. See table 1 for a breakdown of the categories and associated issues.

A performance target is set and assessed for each issue, and if achieved the number of available BREEAM credits can be awarded. The targets are set to go beyond legislative requirements and challenge the design team to strive for levels of excellence.

Although a number of the issues have minimum standards which must be achieved in order to attain a particular BREEAM rating, there is also a degree of flexibility as the majority of the issues are tradable, allowing the specifier or client to choose which areas to focus more attention on. It is worth noting that in order to achieve an Excellent rating a minimum standard of 6 credits must be achieved in the Energy category, Ene 1 - reduction of carbon dioxide emissions category, and a minimum of 10 credits is needed to achieve an Outstanding rating - by far the highest number of credits for any of the issues. Other issues only ask for 1 or 2 credits, even at the Outstanding level. This clearly indicates how important the issue of reducing CO₂ is considered to be. See table 2 for the overall minimum standards.

There are different manuals covering different construction sectors, including Courts, Education, Industrial, Healthcare, Prisons, Offices, Retail and Multi-residential. However, with the exception of Education which has two additional requirements the minimum standards are broadly the same. The manuals are available to download from the BREEAM website: www.breeam.org

BREEAM also has an impact on regulatory requirements. For example, since May 2008 all new non-domestic buildings funded by the Welsh Assembly Government and Assembly Government Sponsored Bodies (AGSB's) must be built to the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) "Excellent" standard, or equivalent.

BREEAM also has an impact on regulatory requirements. For example, since May 2008 all new non-domestic buildings funded by the Welsh Assembly Government and Assembly Government Sponsored Bodies (AGSB’s) must be built to the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) “Excellent” standard, or equivalent.

The role of Insulated Panels

Because of their very high levels of insulation and air tightness, insulated panel systems have for some time been used in projects aiming to perform beyond the regulatory requirements, and have been shown to help achieve BREEAM ratings of Excellent, or even Outstanding.

The success of these projects clearly indicates that insulated panels have an important role to play as the industry moves towards ever higher standards. Although the primary advantage of these systems lies in achieving energy efficiency and CO₂ reduction, insulated panels can also deliver a number of other key benefits such as:

Helping to minimise site waste Ensuring fast track construction Significant long term thermal performance Increasing levels of safety working at height by providing a safe walkable platform once roof panels are fixed, and by reducing the amount of time needed up there to install the roof. All UK insulated panels manufactured since 2004 have zero Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP).

Case study

Insulated panel systems played a major role as part of the first ever building to achieve a BREEAM “Outstanding” rating. The 36,024 m² Blue Planet building is a groundbreaking new £50 million logistics centre at Chatterley Valley in North Staffordshire developed by Gazeley, who worked closely with the local authority and development agency.

Achieving a BREEAM “Outstanding” rating demands excellent performance across a number of key areas, including low carbon technologies and reduced carbon dioxide emissions. The insulated panels helped to fulfil a number of important design and performance demands, helping to ensure that the building achieved its striking appearance whilst offering U-values as low as 0.16 W/m²K in some areas. A building envelope air tightness rate of 2m³/hr/m² was demanded but in practice a rate of 1.8m³/hr/m² was achieved.

Photograph courtesy of Gazeley and Central Photography

Insulated panel systems on the roof and walls helped the Blue Planet project in Chatterley Valley to become the first building to achieve a BREEAM Outstanding rating.

Photograph courtesy of Gazeley and Central Photography

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