It is widely recognised that cutting carbon is an important aspect of climate change action. To date, the focus has largely been on operational carbon, but in recent years there has been a growing interest in the embodied carbon of products, as well as the carbon associated with the operation of building services and how these can be reduced.
With the introduction of CIBSE CP1 (2020) Code of Practice for Heat Networks there has been a greater emphasis on enhanced levels of insulation. The potential issue is that increasing the thickness of a specific insulation material will increase the embodied carbon, as more raw materials are needed over a given area.
What is perhaps not understood clearly is that whilst this may be the case, the impact on the carbon associated with operating a building is much greater, so in the long term the increased insulation will save more carbon.
Finding the balance
With this in mind, Kingspan has created a Kooltherm Pipe Insulation Carbon Calculator tool, which aims to help engineers gain a better understanding of the carbon emissions associated with lost heat and embodied carbon, along with the payback period for the specified insulation.
The tool is designed to be quick and easy to use. Users need to enter a few project specific conditions, such as flow temperature and operational hours. You then have the choice to generate results for a pipe insulation specification by either using the relevant standards in the thermal insulation world (BS5422, the Energy Technology List and CIBSE CP1) or to input a custom thickness of our Kooltherm Pipe Insulation.
The embodied carbon of the relevant size and thickness of insulation will be calculated, and this will be combined with the carbon associated with the lost heat over a specified period of time (the above example is based upon a 30-year evaluation period, at 52.6g CO2-eq/kWh – both of these values are adjustable).
You will also receive the results for system heat loss based on an annual basis.
You can also see the expected capital cost of insulation (not including installation, pipework or other fittings) as well as the cost associated with the lost heat of the system (the above example is based upon 7p kWh, however, this is adjustable).
Different standards may then be compared to look at the time it will take for the enhanced capital cost and embodied carbon to be offset by the reduction in of the carbon from lost heat and associated costs.
These results can then be generated into a project specific report.
If you would like more information on the tool and how it can help your project, please contact us at: pipecarboncalculator@kingspan.com
For more information
Kingspan Insulation Ltd, Castleblayney, Co Monaghan. T: +353 (0) 42 975 4219. E: hvactechnical@kingspaninsulation.co.uk
www.kingspantechnicalinsulation.ie
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www.linkedin.com/company/kingspan-technical-insulation-global
Author: Marc Nickels, business development manager, Kingspan Technical Insulation.
The Kingspan Kooltherm Pipe Insulation Carbon Calculator helps project teams to better understand how changes to pipe insulation specification will impact carbon emissions and operational costs for building services.