The BRE has launched a competition to identify tools and technologies that can accurately measure heat loss from solid wall homes.
According to the latest Government figures, almost all of the eight million solid wall properties in the UK are in need of appropriate insulation. Despite the potential energy and carbon savings for occupants, the installation of solid wall insulation (SWI) is said to be costly, particularly on hard-to-treat properties.
Policies to deliver this work rely on modelled estimates of savings from solid wall insulation, but BRE claims a tool that could measure the heat transmittance through walls would mean savings could be based on robust, up-to-date and accurate data.
In order to improve the quality and speed of measurements, BRE is seeking innovative solutions for rapidly and accurately measuring wall U-Values. The competition opened on March 16 and runs through to May 15. The winning solution will receive up to œ50,000 of funding to support further testing and development of working prototypes.
John Riley, director of housing and energy at BRE, said:
“Dealing with solid walls is one of the biggest challenges to delivering energy efficiency in our existing homes. This competition aims to establish a tool that energy assessors can use to quickly and accurately measure the heat losses. Accurate measurement allows us to find out just how effective interventions have been and base future interventions on robust and accurate data.
“We are looking for solutions from all kinds of places and we’re particularly keen on technology transfer from companies outside the built environment.”
The competition forms part of BRE’s current solid wall research programme, which is funded by the Department of Energy and Climate Change.
To find out more about the competition and how to enter, click here
