David Murray, Head of Technical Affairs & Ireland Sales at Medite Smartply, discusses the company’s involvement with the COP26 House and its wider approach to environmental responsibility.

The zero-carbon COP26 House developed by Beyond Zero Homes

Words
John Ramshaw

Medite Smartply has played a key role in the construction of the COP26 House, an innovative, zero carbon timber-frame dwelling that will showcase sustainable circular building and living solutions during the 2021 UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow (31 October – 12 November). Developed by Beyond Zero Homes, the one-bedroom house employs three different types of responsibly produced Smartply OSB panel. David Murray, Head of Technical Affairs & Ireland Sales at Medite Smartply, in conversation with Architecture Today Technical Editor, John Ramshaw, discusses how and why the products were used on the project, as well as the company’s wider environmental concerns, initiatives and future aims.

How important do you think COP26 is in terms of highlighting the climate emergency and spurring businesses into action?

I think it’s hugely significant, because the built environment contributes 39 per cent of all global greenhouse gas emissions. There was a lot of hot air – pardon the pun – after the Paris Agreement (COP21) in 2015, and perhaps too much debate subsequently about President Trump formally withdrawing the USA from the agreement. So, in the end a lot of the actual content of the agreement got ‘lost’ and not much seems to have happened six years on. Today, the environmental crisis is rightly front and centre news, so the pressure is now on all COP member countries to deal with this issue once and for all by putting stringent environmental measures in place.

There is absolutely no excuse for all new buildings not to operate at net-zero carbon by 2030 – it’s easily done; reduce energy consumption, build with low embodied carbon materials, and generate on-site renewable electricity. Renovating existing buildings to operate at net zero by 2050 is much more challenging, but I think it can be done, as long as the right incentives are put in place and controlled. This is the kind of action and outcome that we so badly need out of COP26 if we are to achieve net zero anything! So, our future quite literally lies in the hands of world leaders.

I would say that most responsible businesses within the construction industry are looking more seriously at the topic of sustainability and their carbon footprint now ­­– certainly all the big ones. The main challenge, alongside issues of cost, is establishing targets we should be working towards. These need to come from government. Set achievable targets that are enshrined in the Building Regulations, and the industry can and will comply. We also need leadership from the government right the way through the construction industry.

COP26 House under construction in Glasgow

What are the key environmental issues for Medite Smartply at the moment, and how is the company tackling them?

There are two sides to this for Medite Smartply: operations and products. With regards to the former, we are putting a lot of pressure on our supply chain to deliver greener solutions and/or provide transparency in terms of the environmental impact of their products. Decisions on key suppliers, such as resin manufacturers, can then be made on environmental grounds as well as cost. There has been a lot of activity aimed at greening our manufacturing processes – everything from installing PV panels and wind turbines to water recycling and low-energy lighting. Medite also uses as much green electricity as possible.

On the product side, there is more pressure than ever from the market to supply sustainable goods. There is also a lot of pressure on manufacturers to verify the environmental credentials of their products. That’s where EPDs (environmental product declarations) come in. They are very important to us as they cut through the ‘greenwash’ that is no longer acceptable to most specifiers and clients. Of course, an EPD does not guarantee that a product is green – but it is a fact file that allows the specifier to make an informed choice.

One area that we have championed for a long time is sustainable forestry. The wood that we use is responsibly sourced from our parent company Coillte (the state-owned Irish Forestry company), and is both PEFC and FSC certified. Another key environmental area for us and the construction industry as a whole is circularity. There are some new technologies coming on stream for recycling wood at end of life, but the challenge is to make them economically viable. There is also a fine line between recycled content and the high-quality products that customers expect. So, perspectives and priorities may need to change.

How important are EPDs to Medite Smartply?

They are very important to us. We have Type III EPDs, which means that our products are independently verified to a recognised European standard. This is effectively a guarantee of environmental transparency, which should not be misunderstood as any guarantee that the product is ‘Green’, which some companies like to state However, it’s very difficult to compare different materials using EPDs, such as OSB and steel or concrete. So there needs to be some clarity on how to make material comparisons. One way of achieving this is through building level life cycle analysis (LCA) to EN 15978.

How are EPDs being used in practice and does more need to be done?

They are slowly but surely becoming recognised. Medite Smartply has been using EPDs for over a decade, but its only in the last year or so that we’ve been asked for them regularly. Overall, there needs to be a rapid acceleration in their use – green building specifications like BREEAM, LEED and HPI use EPDs as part of the certification, so architects need to ask for them! Demand from specifiers will put more pressure on responsible manufacturers to produce them, which is a virtuous circle. Ultimately, whole life carbon needs to be understood and incentivised. Product EPDs and building level LCA are not new or complicated, but they need to be regulated, asked for and incorporated into building specifications. This is much easier than it sounds! Our EPD’s are now available in digital format, meaning they can be easily integrated into building level LCA tools.

How has Medite Smartply contributed to the COP26 House?

We supplied three different types of Smartply OSB panel: ULTIMA, STRONGDECK, and PROPASSIV, as well as providing technical expertise on their specification and use. The house uses a range of complementary sustainable products and technologies, which all contribute to the building’s net-zero carbon status. The PROPASSIV panel is particularly useful as it combines airtightness, vapour control and racking strength within a single product. The ULTIMA and STRONGDECK panels we used for the construction of the ground floor and internal mezzanine respectively, with PROPASSIV employed throughout the thermal fabric.

How have MEDITE SMARTPLY panels helped COP26 House to achieve net zero?

All of our products are supplied carbon negative to the factory gate (A1-A3), which obviously helps towards this endeavour. In addition, PROPASSIV panels provide high levels of airtightness, which reduce uncontrolled air leakage and therefore heating demand. In terms of embodied carbon footprint, Smartply ULTIMA OSB/4 emits just 295kg CO2 equivalent per tonne of the material. However, the carbon stored in the product (biogenic carbon) is -1700kg CO2e per tonne, so the total carbon footprint is actually about -1400kg CO2e per tonne. In other words the product is carbon negative to the factory gate. By increasing the use of wood and wood-based products in construction, we can go a long way to decarbonising the built environment.

The COP26 House utilises three different Medite Smartply OSB products: ULTIMA, STRONGDECK, and PROPASSIV

How important are issues relating to wellness and air quality with regards to Medite Smartply products used in the COP26 house?

The OSB products used in the COP26 house are non-carcinogenic and contain no added formaldehyde (NAF), which means that they contribute to high air quality within buildings and can work hand-in-hand with HVAC systems and high levels of airtightness. It also means that they help to achieve LEED, BREEAM, HPI and WELL standards, which is clearly very important for both indoor and outdoor environments.

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