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Welcome to the ktf website.
If you have any questions that we
have not covered on our site please
call us on
+353 41 685 0978 |
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KTF Environmental Efficiency |
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The Reason |
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- Ireland spends over ¤7 billion per year on energy, most of which is imported.
We depend on imported oil for almost all of our transport energy needs and
most analysts are predicting increased price volatility.
- In Ireland, 'business as usual' projections show Ireland's energy-related
emissions rising by over 60% in the period from 1990 to 2010.
- The Kyoto Protocol, keystone of the United Nations climate change programme,
sets targets for nations to limit or reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. As
part of that target, Ireland is to limit its net greenhouse gas emissions to 13%
above 1990 levels in the period 2008-2012. As a signatory, Ireland is determined
to meet these new and challenging international obligations. As a result the
Department of Public Enterprise (now the Department of Communications,
Marine & Natural Resources) set three principal energy policy objectives in its
Statement of Strategy 2001-2004:
- To ensure security of supply (energy)
- To ensure environmentally sustainable energy production and consumption.
- To develop a competitive supply industry.
Four main strategies are being pursued to achieve those objectives:
- Diversification of energy supplies
- Increasing energy efficiency
- Increasing capacity from renewables.
- Liberalisation of energy markets.
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The residential sector is responsible for 30% of CO2 emissions (1998) and 20%
of all greenhouse gas emissions.
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| Given that by the year 2000 Ireland had already
exceeded its allowable target of greenhouse gas
emissions, the challenge ahead is significant. The
climate change clock is ticking. To beat the clock we
must waste no time in "mainstreaming" sustainable
energy practices into all aspects of our lives. |
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The Result |
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| With the Sustainable Energy Act and the EU Energy
Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) being
adopted into law, Ireland now has a new national
authority, Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI), which has
been established and tasked with steering the nation
on a more sustainable development path. One of SEI’s
main aims is improving energy efficiency in all new and
existing buildings. |
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| What now? |
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Here is a list of positive steps that can be taken at relatively low cost!
- We need to build more energy efficient homes and use more renewable
materials in the construction process.
- Improve the U-Value of your walls and ceilings. Extra Insulation is the simplest
and most cost effective measure you can take. If you remember that the Total
energy in = Total Energy Lost. The goal is to greatly reduce the need for energy
in homes. People spend large sums of money on heating systems without first
insuring that the fabric of the house will hold in the heat once it is generated.
You can have a heating system on all day but if the house has a poor U-Value
and is not airtight then the heat will escape nearly as quickly as you produce it.
- Make our buildings Airtight. The airtightness performance of a building can play
a huge part in reducing heating requirements. The term itself - airtightness - is a
somewhat confusing one - perhaps air control is more accurate. When we talk of
airtightness, what we're essentially speaking about is the elimination of
draughts. The less cold air that we have to heat the better. Airtightness is
absolutely essential in maximising the effectiveness of thermal insulation,
ensuring vast savings over a lifetime. As well as door and window joints, air also
escapes through the fabric i.e. Walls & Ceiling, so it is important to have the
whole house sealed!
- Introduce controlled ventilation. Different strategies can be applied to maintain a
good level of fresh air renewal without excessive heat losses. This ventilation
may come from trickle vents in windows, but in a low-energy or a passive
house, a controlled ventilation system with heat recovery is recommended.
- Install efficient heating systems. Solar is a very efficient system for water and
space heating. There are a range of products on the market but remember, the
more efficient you make your house the less you will have to spend on heating
and heating systems.
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Keenan Timber Frame - Ardee Business Park, Ardee, Co. Louth, Ireland
Tel: (041) 6850978 Tel: (041) 6850979 Email: info@ktf.ie |
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