Rapidly increasing cost and concern over security of supply of conventional energy, coupled
with mounting concerns over climate change, are driving Government policy in particular
towards a concerted programme of action to reduce carbon emissions and increase energy
efficiency of the UK building stock.
Existing buildings account for almost 40% of UK energy use, and housing approx. 28%
within this. With 80% or more of these buildings still in use by 2050 it will be essential to
undertake a major national housing retrofit programme to meet legally binding targets of 80%
carbon reduction by 2050. The Government’s flagship “Green Deal” energy efficiency
scheme will be launched in October 2012 and is designed to create a market mechanism for
20 million or more existing homes to be upgraded to “superthermal” (passivhaus or
equivalent) energy efficiency standards.
There are currently few if any practical, cost effective solutions for delivering the passivhaus
or equivalent performance levels that will be required, and almost no examples in the UK of
delivery at scale.This is clearly the case for high thermal performance windows.
Almost all passivhaus windows are manufactured abroad, are very expensive and not practical
as currently configured for mass scale rollout in the UK. Our British SuperTherm window
system can provide this solution – being both practical and cost effective (similar in cost to
current A and B rated windows in UK but with much higher performance).
This Proof of Market project aims to assess the market acceptability, commercial and
technical viability of the British “SuperTherm” window system based on technology
developments by LCA(UK)Limited. This will include research and discussion with
organisations involved at every stage of window design, manufacture, installation,
maintenance and use ; full technical and economic analysis of the proposed systems; and a
full “Investment Ready Business Plan” at the end of the project.