STEICO insulation featured in the COP 26 house

The timber frame COP26 House showcases zero carbon, circular solutions in building, and living, using standard materials and skills available today. The house has been developed by Beyond Zero Homes, a group of more than 20 organisations from across the homebuilding sector, created and led by Peter Smith, Roderick James Architects. The house uses a range of STEICO wood fibre insulations in order to achieve its goals

Reducing carbon footprint

Unlike conventional insulation material, STEICO wood fibre insulation boards have a negative Global Warming Potential. Thanks to carbon sequestration, they store more CO₂ than the amount used for their production.

They help reduce the carbon in the atmosphere rather than contributing to it. Insulating a house is ecological as it helps reduce energy consumption. Using natural materials, with a negative carbon impact, enables us to pursue this approach, rather than opting for materials with energy-intensive production and components potentially dangerous for health and the environment.
Source for the graphics: www.baubook.info

STEICO insulation is made from natural wood. Trees absorb carbon dioxide (CO₂) during photosynthesis and, in the process, CO₂ is split into carbon (C) and oxygen (O₂). The oxygen is released in the atmosphere while the carbon stays in the wood. The wood used in STEICO insulation material is stored within the fabric of the building for its entire lifetime. It can also be recycled and re-used at end of life. Meanwhile, a new tree is planted to replace the one that has been cut, and the process of storing carbon continues. The roof of an average house insulated with STEICOflex and a sheathing board stores more than 4 tons of CO₂. This is the amount of carbon emitted by an average diesel car traveling almost 23000 miles, without even considering the amount of energy saved with the highly efficient thermal performance of the building fabric.

The COP26 house is assembled from pre-fabricated elements which significantly reduces on-site construction time and is less reliant on weather conditions.

The roof is insulated with STEICOflex 036 between the rafters, with STEICOspecial dry as an external insulating and sheathing layer. STEICOspecial dry provides up to 12 weeks weathering protection.

The external walls use STEICOflex 036 between the studs and STEICOspecial dry externally behind a timber cladding system.

STEICOflex 036 between the studs. Thanks to its unique balance of low thermal conductivity, high density and high specific heat capacity the house is protected from both cold and heat. This provides a truly year-round solution.

Timber frame and wood fibre insulations enable the creation of high performance buildings with zero carbon footprint. The COP26 house is based on a 1.2m grid which allows it to be panelised, prefabricated and even dismantled for future re-use or re-siting.

STEICO insulation in the COP26 zero carbon house

6875 kg of CO₂ are stored in STEICO's insulation in the COP26 house, the equivalent of 40000 miles driven by an average car.

External walls

22mm Timber boarding
40mm STEICOflex 036 between battens
Smartly Propassiv OSB panel
140mm STEICOflex 036 between studs
80mm sheathing board STEICOspecial dry
Vapour-permeable airtight membrane STEICOmulti UDB (external membrane is optional as STEICOspecial dry provides a secondary water removal layer)
Timber cladding

Thermal protection:
U Value = 0,14 W/(m²K)

Heat protection:
Temperature amplitude dampling: 60
Phase shift: 16,3 h

Carbon stored in STEICO insulation in the walls:
2355 kg of CO₂ equivalent to 13540 miles driven in an average car

Roof

Timber boarding
Smartly Propassiv OSB panel
200mm STEICOflex 036 betwenn studs
80mm sheathing board STEICOspecial dry.
Vapour-permeable airtight membrane STEICOmulti UDB (external membrane is optional as STEICOspecial dry provides a secondary water removal layer)
Roofing tiles

Thermal protection:
U Value = 0,14 W/(m²K)

Heat protection:
Temperature amplitude dampling: 45
Phase shift: 15,7 h

Carbon stored in STEICO insulation in the roof:
2604 kg of CO₂ equivalent to 15000 miles driven in an average car