25/3/2015

BRE is launching a competition to identify tools and technologies that can rapidly and accurately measure the heat losses from solid wall homes in the UK.

There are over seven million solid wall homes in Great Britain that could benefit from insulation. Insulating these types of homes is one of the greatest challenges for energy efficiency policy, but it also potentially offers some of the most significant energy and carbon savings for occupants.

Policies to deliver this work rely on modelled estimates of savings from solid wall insulation, but 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 opens on 16 March and runs through to 15 May. The winning solution will receive up to £50,000 of funding to support further testing and development of working prototypes.

‘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.’ says John Riley, Director, Housing and Energy at BRE.

'We are looking for solutions from all kinds of places and we’re particularly keen on technology transfer from companies outside the built environment' says Riley.

The competition forms part of BRE’s current solid wall research programme which is funded by the Department of Energy and Climate Change. Further details on the competition are available here.

For further information please contact Linda McKeown, BRE email mckeownl@bre.co.uk,

NOTES TO EDITOR

BRE Group

BRE is a world leading building science centre that generates new knowledge through research. This is used to create products, tools and standards that drive positive change across the built environment.  BRE helps its government and private sector clients meet the significant environmental, social and economic challenges they faces in delivering homes, buildings and communities. BRE is owned by the BRE Trust, a registered charity. The Trust uses the profits made by the BRE companies to fund research and education that advances knowledge of the built environment. www.bre.co.uk

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