AN ADVANCED eco-friendly building method could revolutionise the construction industry in the island. The Guernsey Housing Association is pioneering a structural insulated panel system for 58 social housing units at Victoria Avenue.
The components are fitted together to provide a frameless, load-bearing structural envelope which can be quickly constructed to create the outer shell of a building.
The energy-efficient method has the potential to save thousands of pounds and reduce household bills dramatically.
Association chief executive Steve Williams said progress was some way down the line.
‘We have taken advice and shortlisted a number of companies which specialise in this kind of construction method,’ he said.
‘We are also in talks with a few companies in the island that have the capability to install it and fit out the buildings with plumbing and other things.
‘We are aiming to achieve a very high level of energy efficiency in order to reduce people’s fuel costs.
‘If the development at Victoria Avenue is a success, then we could definitely see this technology being used as standard throughout the island and changing the construction industry forever.’
The system has already been widely used in Jersey and the UK, as well as in many other countries around the world.
Mantle Panels is one such company that manufactures and supplies the components, although it has not been shortlisted for the Victoria Avenue work.
The company claimed it took six semi-skilled tradesmen just 10 days to build a pair of semi-detached homes using that method.
It built four homes, ground-floor office space and underground parking at Duhamel Street in Jersey and has won awards for environmental sustainability and innovation from the Jersey Construction Council.
Housing minister Dave Jones insisted that Guernsey had not been slow to catch on to the technology.
‘We are very keen to see this new system brought on board as it has been used very successfully elsewhere in the world,’ he said.
‘After a slow start, the States is leading the way by exploring the opportunities for this new technology, which we hope will recoup money by having significantly lower utility bills.’
Mantle Panels claims its products are four times stronger than the timber equivalent and six times stronger on joints.
Only a small-scale heating system is required because the panels are gap-free when assembled, providing a draught and damp-free environment and reducing CO2 emissions.
Homes are also well soundproofed as a result and it is claimed the panels will last 300 years - exceeding industry standards.
Long-time Guernsey self-build campaigner John Renouf said the technology represented the future for cheaper, quicker, low-cost social housing.
‘The cost of labour and building materials in Guernsey is prohibitive,’ he said.
‘This solves those problems because you can get buildings up quicker and cheaper.’
Norman Piette managing director Clive Fenner said his company had been at the cutting edge of modern methods of construction in Guernsey for more than 30 years.
‘We are making sure that we are at the forefront of the next generation of advanced building technologies,’ he said.
‘We already use a structural insulated panel system manufactured by a world leader called Kingspan.
‘The components are made in Germany at the moment, but they are relocating to Yorkshire next year.
‘I can’t imagine a time when the panels are manufactured in Guernsey because the demand just doesn’t exist here for the amount we would have to produce.
‘If you look at how it’s taken off in the UK, it’s only a matter of time before it transforms Guernsey’s construction industry.’
Article posted on 10th January, 2008 - 12.00am
Loading ...
Most Commented: