Key Learning outcomes
- Introducing the performance gap and recognising its impact
- Identifying why the performance gap exists and solutions to address it
- ‘Fabric first’ – benefits of continuous insulation and calculated construction details
- Understanding the impact of thermal bridging on energy efficiency
- The importance of airtightness
Introduction
We all see adverts for new cars that quote carbon emissions and fuel efficiency figures, and maybe you’ve bought a new car based on those claims. Does it achieve the performance you expected, or have you had to adjust your expectations to meet what the car is actually capable of?
Even if you don’t look at performance data, nearly all of us are aware of the emissions scandal that surrounded Volkswagen and their engines. Disparity like this, on any scale, is a performance gap.
There is an increasing body of evidence that our built environment suffers a similar problem. Various studies examining differences between the energy efficiency of buildings ‘as designed’ and the actual ‘as-built’ performance have shown that, in extreme cases, heat losses from both domestic and non-domestic buildings are as much as three times greater than anticipated.
We buy homes based on Energy Performance Certificates and compliance with Building Regulations, putting trust in everybody involved with delivering our building stock that what gets built reflects what was intended at design stage. But if that compliance isn’t translating to reality, how can we address that and deliver the right quality buildings?