Redland high performance roofs for housing market

New solar thermal system is aimed at the private and public new housing sectors, offering a cost effective renewable energy solution.

Redland announces high performance roofs for housing market.

The Code for Sustainable Homes, and the need to meet ever more demanding targets on energy consumption, have set a number of challenges for housing developers and their supply chain.

For many the roof is merely a means of keeping the weather out.

But for Redland, it is not enough for a roof to be merely weathertight.

It has to add to the building's total performance.

Renewable energy - new solar thermal system.

Aimed at the private and public new housing sectors, Redland's solar water heater offers a cost effective renewable energy solution.

With a 4m2 collector area, one unit can provide up to 70% of the average three-bedroom household's hot water needs.

A fully roof integrated system, it is designed to sit unobtrusively within the roofscape, and is a simple installation for roofing contractors.

Marketing manager, Stuart Pocock, has been the face of Redland's renewable programme since the introduction of its first PV system 10 years ago.

Says Stuart: "The Redland Solar Water Heater, which is to be launched in Spring 2008, is uniquely backed by the company's 15-year weathertight roof system guarantee".

While Redland expects strong sales for its Solar Water Heater in the short to medium term, its established PV systems are expected to offer the main opportunity for long term growth, as Stuart Pocock explains: "Essentially, solar thermal replaces gas as a means of heating hot water".

"At the moment it is a relatively low cost way to tick the renewables box, so it is important that we can provide customers with a roof-integrated system to do that job".

"However, as a generator of electricity, PV plays a far greater role in reducing carbon emissions, and its use will grow exponentially as government targets for reductions in CO2 become more demanding".

"Some studies predict that by 2016, every new dwelling built in the UK will generate a proportion of electricity through PV.

Whether this target will be reached is debatable, but once Code level 4 of the Code for Sustainable Homes kicks in the market will rapidly accelerate".

moisture flow of a typical VPU, it also incorporates a reflective layer to effectively reduce the transmission of radiated heat.

Said Redland marketing manager, Stuart Pocock: "Higher density development means greater use of the building footprint, so bedrooms or other living accommodation in the roofspace is now commonplace".

"But these rooms often suffer from overheating in the summer, as heat is radiated through the roof surface".

He continued: "Our range of Radiant Barriers is being developed specifically for this situation".

"Results from the RandD programme show that they can reduce peak summer room temperatures by 3oC - the difference between deciding to install air conditioning to make life bearable, or not".

"Essentially we are offering 'air conditioning' on a roll, using very high tech materials, made affordable by a revolutionary new process".

Radiant Barrier can be used within warm roof constructions in exactly the same way as a normal vapour permeable underlay, where it will help to control harmful condensation, and manage wind loading on tiles, in addition to providing additional functionality in temperature control.

Looking to the future.

This is a project that, if it comes to the market, could reduce installation time from wall plate to tiled roof from 1.5 weeks to 1.5 days.

More information on the full Redland range can be found at the company's new-look website.

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