http://www.innovaresystems.co.uk/ Innovare News Feed en-GB http://slg-development.co.uk/innovaresystems/news.html http://slg-development.co.uk/innovaresystems/news.html 01 Jul 2009 09:13:00 GMT
The project follows Innovar??s involvement in the first inhabited CSH level five scheme in South Nutfield, Surrey completed in July 2008. To achieve the required U-values and energy efficiency rating to meet the standards for CSH level five, Innovar? supplied 162mm i-SIP with additional 50mm polyurethane (PUR) cavity insulation, as well as a trussed roof system.

Situated in an urban location, careful planning and design considered has been given to ensure the appropriate sustainable technologies were adopted for the scheme. In addition to the high levels of thermal efficiency achieved using the Innovar? i-SIP building system, air source heat pumps for domestic heating and hot water and photovoltaic roof panels for electricity generation have also been used.

"There were many lessons we learned from the Mid Street project that have helped make the Gallon Close scheme a great success," commented Paul Ensch, Operations Director for Osborne?s Homes Sector. "Having worked with Innovar? many times, we always knew that if the building fabric performed to the required level, then we would be able to reduce the number of energy renewables and reduce the cost of the overall project. The i-SIP panels provide an airtight, thermally efficient and sustainable structure that can be constructed quickly, offering us a great benefit in terms of speed of build."

"CSH level five schemes are still seen as expensive pilot projects, so to be involved in this project has only further progressed our experience and learning," added Andrew Orriss, Managing Director of Innovar? Systems. "By designing the project to achieve the requirements of level five from the beginning in conjunction with the architects BPTW Partnership, we?ve been able to work more efficiently and provide the appropriate solution to the meet the requirements of the building structure."]]> http://slg-development.co.uk/innovaresystems/news.html http://slg-development.co.uk/innovaresystems/news1.html 01 Jul 2009 09:09:00 GMT
As part of the project specification, Innovar? has designed, engineered and manufactured its large format 162mm i-SIP panel in 5.9 x 2.4 metre dimensions, with an additional rigid polyurethane (PUR) insulation cavity board to achieve a U-value of 0.15W/m?K.

The visitors centre remained open during construction of the new accommodation block, presenting significant challenges and potential health and safety risks to both Innovar? and Farnrise. Speed of build offered by the i-SIP building system was a key benefit for this project in order to reduce the impact of the construction activity on the overall operations of the visitors centre.

This project presented several logistical challenges to Innovar?, yet offered the business an opportunity to showcase its i-SIP building system on a project outside of its typical residential developments, such as its recently completed with Osborne Homes providing the building structure for a new affordable housing development built to level three of the Code for Sustainable Homes.

"This project was the first time we had designed and manufactured our i-SIP panels at 5.9 metres high," adds Andrew Orriss, Managing Director of Innovar? Systems. "Whilst affordable housing has been the key driver for SIPS technology in recent years, we're now beginning to see enquiries come through from a number of different sectors. We've demonstrated on this project that our i-SIP system not only works as a standalone building system, but it can also combine well with other construction methods such as glulam beams, steel framework and floor and roof cassettes."]]> http://slg-development.co.uk/innovaresystems/news.html http://slg-development.co.uk/innovaresystems/news2.html 01 Jun 2009 09:05:00 GMT
As part of the presentation, ?Is Achieving Level 6 of the Code for Sustainable Homes Realistic?, Andrew analysed the various criteria required to deliver this zero carbon housing standard, supported by findings taken from the Mid Street CSH level five project in Surrey for which Innovar? supplied its i-SIP structural insulated panel building system.

"There is certainly the capability and opportunity within the industry to achieve level six," commented Andrew during his presentation. "However, there are a number of significant issues that become apparent to Housing Associations and RSLs trying to reach the highest level of the CSH ? namely concerns over affordability, whether the technology for micro energy generation is robust enough and ultimately, are consumers ready to adopt this new technology? I think these areas will cause the greatest obstacles to reaching level six."

Having conducted a full appraisal of the renewable energy solutions available for the Mid Street project, in cooperation with Osborne, Raven Housing Trust and the Energy Savings Trust, it became apparent that the structure and fabric of the building was the most important element, before the use of micro renewables such as photovoltaic panels, biomass boilers and mechanical ventilation and heat recovery systems (MVHRs) could be considered. "Even on a Code five scheme, the majority of additional spend on the project came from the renewable energy products, and I?d expect this to increase again on a level six project" advised Andrew.

He also explained that issues with consumer understanding of the technology can play a significant role in whether a development will actually perform to the appropriate level of the code once tenants or buyers take up residence.

"Analysing the research from the tenants at Mid Street, who haven?t been educated on the technology during the first year of occupation, has delivered some surprising results. In the first three months, we found that the MVHR unit was being turned off as tenants thought it was wasting electricity, biomass pellets became damp and didn?t perform as expected which resulted in over use and most importantly, the photovoltaic inverter kept tripping out and didn?t return any additional electricity to the Grid."

In summary, Andrew acknowledged that whilst achieving level six is realistic, there is still a major issue relating to the affordability of level six schemes and a need for consumers to essentially change the habits of a lifetime. It is quite possible that the consumer dislike for the technology results in them switching to normal operational standards resulting carbon emissions in use no where near expected. "Personally, I think the Government need to be clear on their energy saving and / or carbon reduction strategy for new homes, expecting consumers to micro generate and bear the cost may actually inhibit the number of houses being built with a questionable outcome for carbon reduction."

The Greenbuild Expo was held at Manchester Central on 17-18 June 2009.]]> http://slg-development.co.uk/innovaresystems/news.html http://slg-development.co.uk/innovaresystems/news3.html 01 May 2009 09:01:00 GMT
Visitors will be able to examine up close the composition of the i-SIP panels and case studies which portray Innovar??s experience in sustainable construction projects, such as the first habitable level 5 Code for Sustainable Homes development at Mid Street, which use the Innovar? structural insulated panel system. The i-SIP building system offers a more sustainable building solution than traditional construction methods and Innovar? aims to showcase the capabilities of the product throughout the four day exhibition.

"The event provides a great opportunity for visitors to learn more about SIPs construction," comments Andrew Orriss, Managing Director for Innovar? Systems. "SIPs building systems offer a sustainable solution to achieve modern building regulations and legislation such as the Code for Sustainable Homes. It?s important for the UK construction industry not to lose sight of its sustainability and low carbon targets, particularly in the current market conditions and we aim to provide visitors with up to date information on achieve the best efficiencies and overall building solution using SIPs technology."

The Osborne Demonstration House has recently been refurbished ahead of the Insite09 event and will demonstrate both Innovar??s and Osborne?s experience in delivering sustainable and low carbon housing schemes. ]]> http://slg-development.co.uk/innovaresystems/news.html http://slg-development.co.uk/innovaresystems/news4.html 01 Feb 2009 08:15:00 GMT
Working closely with property developer Bricks & Mortar and architects Richard Ashby Associates, Innovar? designed, engineered, supplied and erected its i-SIP building system for the development of three detached homes in the quaint village of Steep in Hampshire. To comply with planning permission, one of the homes required a thatched roof, resulting in the first development constructed with i-SIP which incorporated such a feature.

i-SIP construction was chosen over traditional building methods as Bricks & Mortar were interested in combining strong environmental credentials with a quick build programme, the ?wow? factor of a high quality finish and thatched roof. i-SIP achieved this by providing a u-value of 0.23m?/m?/hr with an external wall of 162mm, proving that off-site construction need not be restricted to standard designs and lost-cost projects.

The development in Steep provides a rich contrast between typical uses of the i-SIP building system, such as the Downland Housing Association project in Cranleigh, Surrey. This project, one of the first completed by Innovar?, included a development of 15 low-cost, standard design affordable housing units.

Alex Levitt, Managing Director at Bricks & Mortar comments: "This project has exceeded our expectations and we?re delighted with the finished development. We rate the Innovar? i-SIP system very highly and have found it to be a superior product versus other timber frame alternatives, particularly with regards to speed of build and minimal post-construction settlement. The adaptability of the system made it a practical build method for this project and we?ve been impressed with how the i-SIP system can deliver a challenging design." "This project has been a great showcase for the versatility of our i-SIP building system," comments Andrew Orriss, Managing Director at Innovar? Systems. "SIP construction is often used for affordable housing thanks to its performance characteristics in airtightness and heating, and speed of building capability, but we have proved how these benefits can also be utilised for high value, private residential projects requiring a high quality finish." ]]> http://slg-development.co.uk/innovaresystems/news.html http://slg-development.co.uk/innovaresystems/news5.html 01 Aug 2008 08:00:00 GMT
Innovar??s i-SIP panel was rigorously tested to the latest BBA standards including load bearing capability, disproportionate collapse, acoustic performance and energy conservation, with the panel system surpassing the required criteria within eight months.

Alan Thomas, Sales and Marketing Director at the BBA comments: "It?s always a pleasure to deal with a responsive client and our relationship with Innovar? was vital in our ability to complete the testing and issue the Certificate so speedily. A rapid response to our questions and an easily accessed file of external data has resulted in one of the quickest turnarounds of product testing and approval in this sector."

"We?re delighted with how quickly we?ve been able to achieve BBA standard for our i-SIP product," comments Andrew Orriss, Managing Director at Innovar? Systems Ltd. "Independent accreditation is a guarantee of i-SIP?s proven performance and our customers can have confidence that the product will satisfy their requirements. In a competitive market often driven by price, it is possible to lose sight of industry standards, so we?re very pleased that our product now carries third party certification."

i-SIP is manufactured alongside floor cassettes, internal partitions and roof panels which make-up the completed building at Innovar??s own production facility, I-S Manufacturing based in Coventry. By controlling the design, engineer, manufacture, supply and erection of each customer?s i-SIP building system, Innovare can offer a linear chain of custody and reduce the risk involved with dealing with a multiple suppliers.]]> http://slg-development.co.uk/innovaresystems/news.html http://slg-development.co.uk/innovaresystems/news6.html 12 May 2008 07:00:00 GMT
The new 33,000 sq ft I-S Manufacturing facility has been launched to manufacture the Innovar? i-SIP Structural Insulated Panel system and is capable of producing a 6 metre long i-SIP panel every 12 minutes, enough to build two 45 sq metre semi-detached houses per day. Each panel is designed and manufactured as a bespoke product for every customer. The production line incorporates lean manufacturing principles, plus a unique set-up which ensures a rapid production cycle that is geared to clients? individual build programmes.

As part of a sustainable mandate set-up by Innovar?, the new facility in Coventry is designed to reduce environmental impact. All of the offices within the factory are built using i-SIP panels, floor cassettes and both load-bearing and non load-bearing internal partitions manufactured at the site. A heat retention unit is also built into the ducting work within the building to reduce heat loss. In addition to this energy saving device, Innovar? also ensures that where possible any waste material is either recycled or re-used in the production process.

The Innovar? i-SIP panel is manufactured using Oriented Strand Board (OSB) type 3, with an Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) or low lambda EPS insulation core which provides excellent thermal values and air tightness - a requirement for meeting the Code for Sustainable Homes standards.The unique production process at I-S Manufacturing ensures that panels are stacked for delivery to site in the order in which they will be erected, ensuring even quicker installation and buildability on-site. The i-SIP panel based building system has been fully tested by the BRE and approved by the BBA. Andrew Orriss, Managing Director for both Innovar? Systems and I-S Manufacturing comments: "We are now in a much stronger position to respond to the needs of our customers. By manufacturing our own products and managing the process right through to erection on-site we can eliminate the risk factor for our customers and continue to improve and develop our techniques. The ability to supply to market and work closely with customers is key within this industry. Every aspect of our production process is geared to satisfy our customer?s requirements so that we can deliver the product and arrive on-site ready to start construction."]]> http://slg-development.co.uk/innovaresystems/news.html http://slg-development.co.uk/innovaresystems/news7.html 12 May 2008 10:00:00 GMT
Innovare was recommended to South Coast Property Developments (SCPD) by South-East contractor Integra following a number of successful projects. The Innovare SIP system has been specified to fulfil SCPDs requirements for thermal performance and efficiency, and fast build time on-site.

Restricted access to the development has presented several challenges to Innovare as the small site can only be accessed via an alleyway which runs behind several existing properties. By liaising with SCPD Innovare has arranged appropriate transport and lifting equipment on-site to take advantage of the speed of construction of the Innovare system and minimise disruption to surrounding houses and meet the fast build-time requirements of the project.

Andrew Orriss, Managing Director at Innovare Systems comments: "Were enjoying working with South Coast Property Developments on what is proving to be a tight and challenging site. Were pleased with how the project is progressing and the minimal disruption that has been caused to the surrounding properties. on-site and delivering the completed project to the client." Innovare is supplying over 1000m2 of 154mm thick SIP panels, roof panels, floor cassettes and internal partitions to the ground and intermediate floors.]]> http://slg-development.co.uk/innovaresystems/news.html http://slg-development.co.uk/innovaresystems/news8.html 01 Jan 2008 09:00:00 GMT
The scheme, which is owned by Amicus Horizon, consists of nine two-bedroom terraced houses and one three-bedroom house with wheelchair facilities including a walk-in shower. Innovare?s SIP system was the preferred choice of project contractor, Osborne Homes, as it allows a complete dry structure to be erected rapidly which significantly reduces construction schedules. The SIP system is also a Modern Methods of Construction as it permits a high degree of construction to be completed Offsite. This was a significant advantage for the Merstham project where restricted space meant that only a limited amount of construction materials could be stored on site.

Amicus Horizon is an umbrella organisation for social landlords which provide homes and services to communities across London and the South East. Project Manager, Debra Richards commented: ?Innovare?s SIP system is very impressive and they managed to meet an extremely tight deadline with little onsite space to work with. We are really pleased with the speed at which this product was erected, which in turn enabled us to meet delivery time scales.

Project architects HNW of Chichester, West Sussex worked closely with Innovare on the project. ?Innovares SIP system proved to be very efficient and easy to work with,? says HNWs Ken Watson. ?The houses had to be built on suspended ground to allow the free flow of flood water, this was a requirement highlighted by the Planning Authority. With this in mind Innovares SIP system seemed the obvious choice with most of the construction work done offsite.? Andrew Orriss, Innovare Systems Managing Director, comments: ?We were also interested in this scheme from a design point of view, as it allowed us to demonstrate the design freedom you can achieve with the Innovare SIP building system. Working closely with the main contractor we were also able to plan well ahead on the build to ensure we completed the project on time and to budget.? ]]>