SA Affordable Housing May - June 2019 // Issue: 76 | Page 20

FEATURES
Thermal insulation set to improve
building energy efficiency
The long-awaited revision of the standard ‘Energy usage in buildings’
will see the incorporation of cavity walls into SANS10400-XA.
By TIPSASA | Photos by TIPSASA
An example of a polystyrene insulation solution in a cavity wall.
I
nsulation is one of the most effective ways to improve the
energy efficiency of a home or a building; insulation of
the building envelope helps keep heat in during the
winter and out in summer to improve comfort and save
energy. Insulation also adds additional benefits such as
creating a vapour barrier and / or an acoustic barrier.
Effective draught proofing, moisture control and
ventilation are important at the design stage.
The appropriate level of insulation intervention depends
on climate, building construction type and whether
auxiliary heating and / or cooling is used.
Currently it is still unclear when the revision of SANS
10400-XA will be published as a Draft South African
Standard (DSS) for public comment (which is usually 60
days). After the public comment closure period, all
comments are evaluated by the South African Bureau of
Standards (SABS) committee and once comments have been
duly considered, it will be published. It is estimated that it
may be published by the third quarter of 2019.
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) published an
amendment to the National Building Regulations (NBR) to
introduce the requirements for energy usage in buildings,
which was promulgated on 9 November 2011.
All new buildings and building extensions from that date
onward have to comply with the new regulation, yet many
professionals still do not specify thermal insulation or do
not comply with the minimum R-value requirements for the
specific climatic zones.
Currently in South Africa, South African National
Standards (SANS) recognises six main climatic regions or
zones. This has been established as the benchmark for the
maximum energy demand and maximum energy
consumption in the design of a particular building under
South African conditions.
See more on page 20
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MAY - JUNE 2019
www.saaffordablehousing.co.za