Insulati o n
CI/SfB
(57.9)
In7
(M2)
Second Issue December 2015
A Duct is for Life...
AN INDEPENDENT ANALYSIS OF THE ‘WHOLE LIFE’
COSTS OF DIFFERING HVAC DUCT SPECIFICATIONS
Contents
Page
Executive Summary
3
Current Practice & The Alternatives
4
urrent Practice
C
Assessing The Alternatives
Review Of The Alternatives
4
4
4-5
Appendix 1
6
Appendix 2
7
Contact Details
8
Executive Summary
The Kingspan KoolDuct® System should be an automatic
consideration where “whole life” costing is a requirement as:
l
l
installation of the Kingspan KoolDuct® System can save
over 15% on capital cost; and
over a 30 year life cycle the Kingspan KoolDuct® System
can also make a saving of over 29% on operating costs.
3
Current Practice & The Alternatives
Current Practice
l
Air conditioning and ventilation systems are a common
feature of new build and refurbishment construction works;
l
Traditionally, HVAC ductwork is constructed from
galvanised sheet steel, which is installed first and then
insulated separately as a second operation;
l
The ductwork material is commonly not considered until
late in a project’s design process;
l
Those who are not intimate with a project’s constraints
commonly select the ductwork material;
l
Services design co-ordination commonly occurs
concurrently with construction; and
l
Little or no attention is paid to the operating cost of the
ductwork system or to its durability.
‘Whole life’ costing takes account of the total cost of an
item over its life, including durability, energy savings and
maintenance, as well as initial purchase price.
The Kingspan KoolDuct® System reduces the capital and
life cycle costs when compared with galvanised sheet steel,
whilst, at the same time, offering additional advantages to the
specifying engineer, the architect, the M&E contractor, the
fabricator, the facilities manager, the property developer and
the building owner.
The Kingspan KoolDuct® System comprises premium
performance Kingspan KoolDuct panels, fabrication methods,
coupling systems and a complete line of accessories to
produce pre-insulated rectangular ductwork in sections up to
2.95 m long.
Assessing the Alternatives
Kingspan KoolDuct® panels comprise a fibre-free rigid
thermoset phenolic insulation core
faced with silver aluminium foil on
one side and either silver or black
coated aluminium foil on the other side.
The purpose of this independent report is to examine the
relative ‘whole life’ costs of insulated sheet metal ductwork
and The Kingspan KoolDuct® System, their relative
performance with regards to ‘whole life’ costs and the benefits
this can provide.
*A copy of the Sweett (UK) Limited report is available upon
request from the Kingspan Insulation Marketing Department
(see rear cover).
Traditionally the majority of ductwork is manufactured using
galvanised sheet steel, which is installed first and then
insulated separately as a second operation. The selection of
ductwork material is therefore generally assumed. Additionally,
the construction project client’s specification for ductwork is
normally limited to a set of performance criteria rather than a
specific material.
Review of the Alternatives
Kingspan Insulation commissioned independent consultants,
Sweett (UK) Limited, to carry out an analysis of the capital
and life cycle cost benefits of differing HVAC ductwork
specifications*.
The actual selection of the ductwork material is made by
the mechanical service sub contactor, or more often, its
ductwork sub-sub-contractor. Indeed, because of existing
manufacturing set-ups, it may be disadvantageous to move
away from the existing specification norms and use The
Kingspan KoolDuct® System.
Sweett’s work investigated a range of parameters associated
with the use of the ductwork, including expected lifetime,
maintenance and cleaning requirements, impact on energy
consumption and replacement costs.
The installed cost of ductwork fabricated from the
Kingspan KoolDuct® System was found to be cheaper
than that of galvanised sheet steel ductwork.
However, the air-leakage of the ductwork system can have
a significant impact on the Building Emission Rate (BER) of
the building. The electrical consumption of the fan running a
ductwork system can increase substantially if the air-leakage of
the system is higher.
On durability, they concluded that Kingspan KoolDuct®
panels consist of a densely cross linked structure which does
not readily break down. They also noted that independent
testing (SGS United Kingdom Ltd.) has shown that the
thermal performance of Kingspan KoolDuct® panels are not
prone to long term degradation and maintain their designed
performance throughout the ‘whole life’ 30 year period.
Furthermore, The Kingspan KoolDuct® System can reduce airleakage rates to a fraction of those typical of rectangular sheet
metal ductwork. This cutting edge System offers triple benefits
of cutting energy use, cutting operational carbon dioxide (CO2)
emissions and cutting costs.
4
Thus The Kingspan KoolDuct® System can provide a capital
cost saving of 15% (see Table 1 and Table 1a).
On energy use, Sweett (UK) Limited endorsed the contents
of a study carried out by independent consultants, Bucknall
Austin, based on the results of research carried out by
BSRIA to investigate the estimated effect on fan power of
different duct air leakage rates. The research showed that
The Kingspan KoolDuct® System can save over 30% on the
annual electricity cost of running a fan compared with the
performance of standard galvanised sheet steel ductwork.
The energy consumption of the fan was based on air leakage
rates conforming to air tightness Class D for The Kingspan
KoolDuct® System and Class A for standard galvanised sheet
steel ductwork.
Refer to Appendix 1 for a detailed breakdown of capital costs.
Sweett (UK) Limited then calculated the operating cost of the
two technologies over a 30 year period, taking into account
energy use, maintenance, cleaning and changes due to wear
and tear (churn).
Over a 30 year period, the system operating cost for lagged
galvanised sheet steel technology was £36,536 versus
£25,961 for The Kingspan KoolDuct® System.
Thus The Kingspan KoolDuct® System can provide an
operating cost saving of 29% (see Table 1 and Table 1a).
On cleaning, Sweett’s research showed that ductwork
fabricated from The Kingspan KoolDuct® System is marginally
more expensive to clean than galvanised sheet steel ductwork.
Refer to Appendix 2 for a detailed breakdown of the
operating costs.
Sweett’s own research into ducting maintenance showed that
ductwork fabricated from The Kingspan KoolDuct® System
suffers minimal damage and thus requires minimal repairs,
particularly where ductwork is installed within a ceiling void.
In circumstances where a repair is required, it concluded that
ductwork fabricated from The Kingspan KoolDuct® System
can be repaired quickly by simply replacing the damaged area,
whereas the entire section of sheet metal ductwork would
need to be replaced, with the lagging as a second operation.
Combining capital and operating costs to give a ‘whole life
cost’ yields a total saving of £12,527. Thus The Kingspan
KoolDuct® System can provide an overall ‘whole life’ cost
saving of 25%.
50000
Value £
40000
Once the above data had been analysed, the capital, operating
and ‘whole life’ costs were calculated.
30000
20000
10000
0
1
Results of the Analysis
3
5
7
9
11 13
15 17 19
21 23 25 27 29
Year
Sweett (UK) Limited based the comparison of capital cost on a
system comprising 66 metres of ductwork of a wide variety of
dimensions. The galvanised sheet steel ductwork was lagged
with 50 mm mineral fibre.
KoolDuct
Sheet Metal
Table 1: Whole Life cost comparison between The Kingspan
KoolDuct® System and galvanised sheet steel ductwork insulated
with mineral fibre.
The capital cost of lagged galvanised sheet steel ductwork
was £12,896 versus £10,944 for ductwork fabricated from
The Kingspan KoolDuct® System.
Note: the costs detailed in this report are based on the use
of The Kingspan KoolDuct® System constructed of 30 mm
Kingspan KoolDuct® Panels and the 4-bolt flange jointing
system versus 50 mm mineral fibre insulated galvanised sheet
steel ducting.
Legend
Technology
Capital
Saving
Operating Cost
Saving
‘Whole Life’
Cost
(%)
(Over 30 yrs)
(%)
Cost
(£)(£) (£)
Mineral Fibre Insulated
Galvanised Sheet Steel
12,89636,53649,432
The Kingspan KoolDuct® System
10,944
Saving (£)
15
1,952
25,961
29
36,905
10,575
12,527
‘Whole Life’
Saving
(%)
25
Table 1a: Whole Life Cost, Capital Cost and Operating Cost comparison between The Kingspan KoolDuct® System and galvanised sheet steel
ductwork insulated with mineral fibre.
5
Appendix 1
Capital Cost Comparison Between
Galvanised Sheet Steel Ductwork and the
Kingspan KoolDuct® System
Research, conducted in the UK by independent consultants
Rider Levett Bucknall, into the installed cost of differing
insulated HVAC ductwork specifications, and subject to
periodic updates, continues to show that the installed cost of
ductwork fabricated from The Kingspan KoolDuct® System
is less expensive than that of ductwork constructed from
galvanised sheet steel and insulated with mineral fibre.
The research utilises cost data submitted in 2010 from a
number of ductwork and insulation contractors across the
UK and based on the duct layout of a case study project.
It compares ductwork fabricated from The Kingspan
KoolDuct® System, comprising 30 mm Kingspan KoolDuct®
panels and the 4–bolt coupling system, with galvanised sheet
steel ductwork insulated with 50 mm thick mineral fibre.
Kingspan KoolDuct®
Galvanised Sheet Metal
No.
Name
Size
Quantity / Length
Rate
Ext’n
Rate
Ext’n
1
Straight
200 x 200
12
46.94
563.28
66.95
803.40
2
Shoe
200 x 200
1
54.6
54.6
44.6
44.6
3
45 sq. bend
200 x 200
1
57.32
57.32
60.71
60.71
4
Taper
200 x 200
1
65.93
65.93
58.63
58.63
5
Square bend
200 x 200
1
74.67
74.67
69.06
69.06
6
Special items (supports)
200 x 200
1
2.81
2.81
4.80
4.80
7
Straight
400 x 400
12
68.21
818.52
90.72
1088.64
8
Shoe
400 x 400
1
71.06
71.06
60.43
60.43
9
45 sq. bend
400 x 400
1
79.04
79.04
87.48
87.48
10
Square bend
400 x 400
1
90.5
90.5
107.34
107.34
11
Taper
600 x 600
1
79.26
79.26
80.49
80.49
12
Special items (supports)
600 x 600
1
3.05
3.05
6.62
6.62
13
Straight
600 x 600
12
96.38
1156.56
115.80
1389.60
14
Shoe
600 x 600
1
93.96
93.96
75.08
75.08
15
45 sq. bend
600 x 600
1
116.67
116.67
113.84
113.84
16
Square bend
600 x 600
1
135.69
135.69
143.81
143.81
17
Taper
600 x 600
1
105.24
105.24
98.67
98.67
18
Special items (supports)
600 x 600
1
3.23
3.23
5.19
5.19
19
Straight
800 x 800
12
119.05
1428.6
151.41
1816.92
20
Shoe
800 x 800
1
122.11
122.11
109.15
109.15
21
45 sq. bend
800 x 800
1
154.38
154.38
155.29
155.29
22
Square bend
800 x 800
1
188.11
188.11
201.43
201.43
23
Taper
800 x 800
1
137.37
137.37
137.56
137.56
24
Special items (supports)
800 x 800
1
3.6
3.6
7.22
7.22
19
Straight
1000 x 1000
12
142.40
1708.80
186.48
2237.76
20
Shoe
1000 x 1000
1
152.52
152.52
130.80
130.80
21
45 sq. bend
1000 x 1000
1
194.6
194.6
183.75
183.75
22
Square bend
1000 x 1000
1
241.25
241.25
243.83
243.83
23
Taper
1000 x 1000
1
156.48
156.48
152.03
152.03
24
Special items (supports)
1000 x 1000
1
3.79
3.79
11.73
11.73
19
Straight
1200 x 1200
6
194.63
1167.78
235.88
1415.28
20
Shoe
1200 x 1200
1
189.23
189.23
150.77
150.77
21
45 sq. bend
1200 x 1200
1
252.87
252.87
224.77
224.77
22
Square bend
1200 x 1200
1
313.72
313.72
314.70
314.70
23
Taper
1200 x 1200
1
193.07
193.07
197.86
197.86
24
Special items (supports)
1200 x 1200
1
4.41
4.41
10.93
10.93
Total
£10,184
Total
£12,000
2015 eq.
£10,944
2015 eq.
£12,896
Table 2: Installed cost comparison between The Kingspan KoolDuct® System and galvanised sheet steel ductwork insulated with mineral fibre.
The cost data has been updated to 2015 equivalent by Sweett (UK) Limited.
6
Appendix 2
Estimated Whole Life Cost (30 years)
Comparison Between Galvanised Sheet Steel
Ducting and The Kingspan KoolDuct® System
The table below shows the assumptions used in the ‘whole
life’ cost model and ‘whole life’ cost graphs.
Maintenance
Start
Frequencies (years)
Cost Element
Year
KoolDuct®Sheet Metal
In carrying out the ‘whole life’ cost analysis, Cyril Sweett made
the following assumptions.
l
Life cycle (years) = 30 years
l
Life cycle preliminaries = 5%
l
Discount rate = 3.5%
l
Life cycle professional fees = 3%, M&E Consultancy
fees @ 0%
l
M&E commissioning costs = 0.6%
l
Strip out / preparation = lump sum
l
BWIC with services installations = 5%
l
Access costs = lump sum, as necessary, with increased
cost assumed for conventional ducting due to weight /
material handling requirements
l
Interest rate (APR) = 0%
l
Rate of inflation = 0%
l
Energy assumptions:
Changes to ducts due
to churn (3%)1
10
22
Repairs to ducts
– due to damage 2
2
1 (1%) 2 (2%)
2
2 (£5/m) 2 (£4.5/m)
Cleaning costs 3
Energy costs (£256pa) 41
1Changes due to “churn” at 3%, starting after 10 years, on alternate years.
2 1% every year for Kingspan KoolDuct® and 2% alternate years for conventional.
3 £5/m for Kingspan KoolDuct® and £4.5/m conventional.
4The savings equate to 30% electrical power with the cost savings totaling £256 per annum.
Table 2a
− Floor area of room = 460m2
− Electricity consumption estimation2 = 128 kWh/m2
− Estimation of energy from fans = 10%
−R
eduction in fan energy required from The Kingspan
KoolDuct® System = 30%
− Price of electricity per kWh = 15p
7
Contact Details
Customer Service
Technical Advisory Service
For quotations, order placement and details of despatches, please
contact the Kingspan Insulation Customer Service Department:
The Kingspan KoolDuct® System is supported by a complementary
and comprehensive technical advisory service for designers,
specifiers, fabricators, installers, building services managers
and facilities managers. Expert guidance is provided to make
specification and installation, operation and maintenance of
ductwork fabricated from The Kingspan KoolDuct® System, as
straightforward as possible. Project specific advice and solutions
for non–standard applications and complex technical issues are
also offered.
UK
Tel:
+44 (0) 1544 388 601
Fax:
+44 (0) 1544 388 888
email: customerservice@kingspaninsulation.co.uk
Ireland
Tel:
+353 (0) 42 979 5000
Fax:
+353 (0) 42 975 4299
email: info@kingspaninsulation.ie
Literature & Samples
Amongst other services, heat loss / gain, condensation / dew point
risk and required insulation thickness can be calculated.
Kingspan Insulation produces a comprehensive range of technical
literature for designers, specifiers, fabricators, installers, building
services managers and facilities managers The literature contains
clear ‘user friendly’ advice on design, design considerations,
specification, fabrication, installation, maintenance and product data.
Kingspan Insulation also provides a series of technical
presentations specifically tailored for designers, specifiers, local
authorities and developers. Additionally, site surveys and visits can
also be undertaken, if required.
Available as individual brochures, Kingspan Insulation technical
literature is an essential specification tool. For copies please
contact the Kingspan Insulation Marketing Department, or visit the
Kingspan Insulation website:
UK
Tel:
+44 (0) 1544 387 384
Fax:
+44 (0) 1544 387 484
email: info@kingspaninsulation.co.uk
Ireland
Tel:
+353 (0) 42 979 5000
Fax:
+353 (0) 42 975 4299
email: info@kingspaninsulation.ie
UK
Tel:
+44 (0) 1544 387 382
Fax:
+44 (0) 1544 387 482
email: hvactechnical@kingspaninsulation.co.uk
Ireland
Tel:
+353 (0) 42 979 4297
Fax:
+353 (0) 42 975 4296
email: technical@kingspaninsulation.ie
General Enquiries
For all other enquiries:
UK
Tel:
+44 (0) 1544 388 601
Fax:
+44 (0) 1544 388 888
email: info@kingspaninsulation.co.uk
Ireland
Tel:
+353 (0) 42 979 5000
Fax:
+353 (0) 42 975 4299
email: ­info@kingspaninsulation.ie
Kingspan Insulation Ltd reserves the right to amend product specifications without prior
notice. Product thicknesses shown in this document should not be taken as being available
ex–stock and reference should be made to the current Kingspan Insulation Ltd price list or
advice sought directly from Kingspan Insulation Ltd. The information, technical details and fixing
instructions etc. included in this literature are given in good faith and apply to uses described
herein. Recommendations for use should be verified as to the suitability and compliance with
actual requirements, specifications and any applicable codes, laws and regulations. For other
applications or conditions of use, Kingspan Insulation Ltd offers a Technical Advisory Service,
the advice of which should be sought for uses of Kingspan Insulation Ltd products that are not
specifically described herein. The fire tests referenced in this literature and the assigned results
are not intended to reflect hazards presented by the materials and products described herein
under actual fire conditions. Please check that your copy of the literature is current by visiting
www.kingspaninsulation.co.uk or www.kingspaninsulation.ie
Kingspan Insulation Ltd
Pembridge, Leominster, Herefordshire HR6 9LA, UK
Castleblayney, County Monaghan, Ireland
www.kingspaninsulation.co.uk www.kingspaninsulation.ie
®
Kingspan, KoolDuct and the Lion Device are Registered Trademarks of the Kingspan Group plc in the UK, Ireland and other countries. All rights reserved.
Registered in England & Wales, No. 01882722. Registered Office: Pembridge, Leominster, Herefordshire HR6 9LA, UK. VAT GB428602456.
Registered in Ireland, No. 54621. Registered Office: Bree Industrial Estate, Castleblayney, Co. Monaghan, Ireland. VAT IE4575069I.