IMM wrote:

"RichardS" noaccess@invalid wrote in message

of the locality. Those advocating movement towards insulation standards
common in Germany, Scandinavia and parts of the North American continent
should remember that they suffer much colder winters than the majority of
the UK which will therefore push the environmental equilibrium towards
installation of more insulation.

Nice try, but flawed logic. The cut off point is when you don't require a
full heating system. That is simple. Then the gains start to really add up.

It is safe to assume you will still want hot water, hence you still need
a boiler. Yes you can fit fewer or smaller radiators but that does not
represent much capital cost saving (given that you can install a full
heating system for under 3K - you may only save 1K capital outlay). You
seem to be recommending spending several times that cost in PIR foam
alone before you get onto ventilation with heat recovery. It may take a
lifetime to recover the capital costs in reduced energy usage.

What is not really taken into account is the cooling effect insulation can
have in hot summers, which appear to be on the way. So, the gains,

Sorry - but this is nonsense. No amount of insulation will have a
"cooling effect".

More insulation will reduce the rate of heat gain inside the house, but
will also ensure that once it has gained the heat (which it inevitably
will) it will be harder to dissipate it. It will only take a few days of
hot humid weather to get the inside of the house unpleasantly hot - no
matter how well you insulate it. You still need windows (which are not
going to have u values of 0.1), you still get solar gain, and you still
need to open doors to get in and out of the building, allowing air changes.

Insulation to the point of not requiring a full heating system is a win, win

Not if you reach the point of never recovering from the environmental
impact of building the thing, during the lifetime of the property. Not
if you never recover the capital outlay in lower energy bills.

situation all the way. All the knowledgeable experts who write on this
subject all agree that superinsulation is well worth it.

Where "knowledgeable" = supports your point of view no doubt?

You can generally find experts who will support any point of view you
choose, so this is not really adding any weight to the argument.



--
Cheers,

John.

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