Controlling temperature and saving energy

Rodwell House is an upmarket guesthouse in St James, Cape Town. Being close to the sea and east facing, the building receives an early morning dose of sun but goes into the shade by early afternoon when the sun slips behind the Kalk Bay mountains that form part of the Silvermine section of Table Mountain National Park.

Heating and cooling – and an efficient means of managing the internal temperature fluctuations – have always been a concern for the management of Rodwell House. During a recent refurbishment programme it was decided that insulation – appropriately placed in the ceiling under the large pitched roof – would be the best solution to reduce the establishment’s escalating energy costs.

Richard Ellis, a trained Eco-Insulation agent and installer was called on to do the job and Eco-Insulation was pumped into the ceiling space over the 800 m2 guesthouse. Ellis is one of a professional group of trained subcontractors who represent Eco-Insulation nationwide and are available on call.

Eco-Insulation was selected for the Rodwell House project based on the fact that Ellis was able to provide a turn-key solution with immediate effect and the installation could be carried out within the workflow programmed by the main contractor.

Eco-Insulation is produced from recycled cellulose fibre. The manufacturing company, Eco-Insulation, is the recipient of the Southern Africa Energy Efficiency Association’s ‘Company of the Year Excellence Award 2008’. Company founder and chief executive, Cecil Homan, says the enterprise has grown rapidly and the eco-friendly insulation already complies with major national building and quality standards. It is fire-rated ‘no spread of flame’ and, among other benefits, provides long-term resistance to wet and dry rot and does not contain asbestos, glass fibre or any toxic materials.