The contractor and manufacturer has worked in partnership with energy and sustainability consultancy Carbon Futures to reduce the impact of ‘thermal bridging’ in the modern home.

Thermal bridging describes an area of a building which has a significantly higher heat transfer than the surrounding materials, typically where there is either a break in the insulation or in masonry elements of a build or with openings such as windows and doors.

Carbon Futures ‘thermal modelling’ assessment has considered the use of the firm’s ‘iQ’ timber frame system in the construction of housing and the results indicate that it is possible to reduce heat loss - associated with thermal bridging - by up to 30% when compared against government accredited construction details.

In a typical 2-storey home, this facilitates a 5% reduction in annual carbon emissions and an 8% reduction in energy required for space heating.

The ‘iQ’ system is manufactured in CCG’s bespoke ‘OSM’ facility in Cambuslang and is used to support the delivery of more than 1,000 homes per year, over 80% of which are for the public sector.

David Wylie, managing director of CCG, said: “At CCG, we pride ourselves on producing homes that are delivered to the highest standards of quality and environmental performance. The research undertaken with Carbon Futures will enable us to enhance our offering in these areas ensuring long-term benefits to our clients and the end user of our homes marking a significant step forward in helping tackle fuel poverty for people across Scotland.” 

David Russell, director of Carbon Futures, said: “A lot has been said about the performance gap in new-build housing, therefore CCG should be commended for having the foresight to invest in the thermal performance of their timber frame product. As accredited thermal modellers, Carbon Futures were able to facilitate improved thermal performance in a cost-effective and practical way by using our technical experience and commercial awareness.

“Moving forward, the thermal improvement in CCG’s ‘iQ’ system puts them in a strong position to deliver carbon reduction targets in new-build housing whilst maintaining commercial viability.”