Sheep Wool External Wall Insulation

问题《清洁增长战略》明确指出，脱碳是英国在实现碳排放目标方面面临的最大挑战，强调了行动和创新的迫切需要。由于库存更新率低，高效的新建筑的影响有限，因此挑战在于对现有的低效库存进行改造。实心墙式住房占英国老化住房库存的很大一部分，是表现最差的保温层之一。外墙外保温(EWI)是提高这些家庭热效率的首选方法。到2025年，我们需要每年向25万户家庭安装EWI措施，以实现净零目标，这一数字是2019年交付数量的22倍。这将需要在建筑部件上进行大量投资。传统的EWI面板来自能源密集型制造工艺(如矿棉)或以石油为基础的原料(如EPS)。这提供了一个利用英国本地可持续原材料开发低含碳量替代材料以实现资源效率的机会。创新该项目将资助工业研究，以开发一种可扩展地利用绵羊羊毛生产硬质EWI面板的化学工艺。这种纤维具有优异的绝缘性能，这使得它被用于低密度软卷绝缘，但目前还没有高密度硬质镶板产品。创新的重点是开发一种有效的粘结剂配方和低能量加工路线，将羊毛纤维交联并粘合在一起，形成坚硬的结构。我们将利用先进的材料和新的绿色化学方法来满足性能、可持续性和成本效益的目标。一旦在实验室规模进行优化，该工艺将扩大到生产尺寸的面板。这些性能将进行测试，以评估行业标准性能，包括耐火性、导热性和机械耐久性。IMPACT这项创新利用了未得到充分利用的天然纤维副产品，使其能够重复使用，并解决了其作为英国农民净亏损产品的现状。通过促进循环经济，它最大限度地实现了投资回报，并降低了与翻新英国老化的住房库存相关的直接碳成本。实现建筑材料的循环可增强供应链的韧性，并直接惠及经济困难的农村社区。使用天然粘结剂和绿色化学意味着生产的太阳能电池板最终可能会被生物降解，最大限度地减少浪费。该项目汇集了威尔士、苏格兰和英格兰北部的合作伙伴和分包商组成的财团。这项工作只有通过羊毛、建筑和先进材料领域专家的专家合作才能实现。

PROBLEMThe Clean Growth Strategy unequivocally identified decarbonising heat as the UK's greatest challenge in meeting carbon targets, emphasising the urgent need for action and innovation. Efficient new builds will have limited impact due to slow stock replacement rates, thus the challenge lies in retrofitting the existing inefficient stock.Solid wall housing makes up a large part of the UK's ageing housing stock, and is among the worst performing thermal envelopes. External wall insulation (EWI) is the preferred method for improving the thermal efficiency of these households. By 2025 we need to be installing EWI measures to 250,000 homes yearly to meet net-zero targets, 22x the number delivered in 2019\.This will require a significant investment in building components. Traditional EWI panels are derived from energy intensive manufacturing processes (eg mineral wool) or oil-based feedstocks (eg EPS). This presents an opportunity to design for resource efficiency, by developing a low embodied carbon alternative using sustainable raw materials local to the UK.INNOVATIONThis project will fund industrial research to develop a chemical process for scalably producing rigid EWI panels from sheep wool. This fibre has excellent insulative properties which have led to its use in low-density soft rolled insulation, however no high-density rigid panelling product currently exists.The innovation focus is the development of an effective binder formulation and low-energy processing route that will crosslink and adhere the wool fibres together into a stiff structure. We will leverage advanced materials and novel green chemistries to meet performance, sustainability, and cost-efficiency targets.Once optimised at the lab-scale, the process will be scaled-up to manufacture panels to production size. These will be tested to evaluate industry standard properties including fire-resistance, thermal conductivity, and mechanical durability.IMPACTThis innovation leverages an under-utilised natural fibre by-product, enabling its reuse and addressing its current status as a net loss product for British farmers.By promoting a circular economy, it maximises return on investment and reduces the immediate carbon cost associated with retrofitting the UK's ageing housing stock. Achieving circularity in building materials enhances supply chain resilience and directly benefits economically deprived rural communities. The use of natural binders and green chemistry, mean the panels produced could eventually biodegrade, minimising waste.This project assembles a consortium of partners and subcontractors across Wales, Scotland, and the North of England. This work is only possible through specialist collaboration from experts in the wool, building, and advanced materials sectors.