{"id":2180,"date":"2012-06-13T11:19:30","date_gmt":"2012-06-13T11:19:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/markstephensarchitects.com\/?p=2180"},"modified":"2012-06-13T11:19:30","modified_gmt":"2012-06-13T11:19:30","slug":"why-u-values-are-not-enough-eliminating-thermal-bridging-is-key","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.markstephensarchitects.com\/why-u-values-are-not-enough-eliminating-thermal-bridging-is-key\/","title":{"rendered":"Why u-values are not enough – eliminating thermal bridging is key…"},"content":{"rendered":"
This is a bit of a continuation of the Blog Post on DEAP, BER ratings, DEAP, Part L and Building Regulation Compliance<\/a> So you’ve been working your design through DEAP and no matter what you do, you can’t jump from say a B1 to an A3, what’s missing?<\/p>\n The fabric u-values are not the only aspect of thermal performance to your building; the next big step the construction industry needs to take is with eliminating Thermal Bridging<\/em>. It’s something the PassivHaus<\/em> has addressed from the beginning and it’s only really now (since the 2011 Building Regulation changes) that the Irish Regulations are addressing the problem.<\/p>\n The excellent article by Joseph Little – low energy architects and building fabric consultants<\/a> goes into brilliant detail here<\/a>, and understanding and then implementing a successful thermal bridge strategy is key to creating a low energy and healthy building.<\/p>\n The above article explains how the DEAP software is at fault by allowing only a single number for thermal bridging (Building Elements>Heat Loss Results):<\/p>\n