Kilbroney TimberFrame Insulation and Airtightness

Passive House Design

A passive house is one which is so energy-efficient that it does not require a conventional heating system to provide heating within the building, relying instead of a combination of green energy sources and high levels of insulation and airtight sealing to reduce heat loss. A passive house typically consumes up to 90% less energy than a house built to the minimum requirements for building regulations.

Passive home design concentrates on the following key areas to achieve high levels of insulation and cheap energy:

High levels of insulation within walls, floors, ceiling and roofs
Airtight seals at all critical junctions to prevent heat loss
Advanced glazing technology to ensure heat gain exceeds heat loss
Use of renewable energy sources such as solar panels

At Kilbroney Timberframe we have undertaken several passive home designs, with examples listed in our timberframe passive house project portfolio, most recently a passive home in Katesbridge, near Rathfriland in County Down.

Low Carbon Homes Scheme

Kilbroney-Eco now employs an On Construction Domestic Energy Assessor who can advise on what criteria is required to achieve a low and zero carbon home.

The low carbon homes scheme is a new rate relief scheme that will provide full rate relief to;

The first occupier of a new low carbon home for up to two years and
The first occupier of a new zero carbon home for up to five years.

Kilbroney-Eco's On Construction Domestic Energy Assessor can advise clients on how to achieve a low carbon and zero carbon home. We can then produce a new build Energy Performance Certificate and Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) and a low or zero carbon home certificate to enable our clients to receive rate relief and in doing so encourage the building of low or zero carbon home grants in Northern Ireland.

The basic concept is to 'build tight, ventilate right'.