Recognising the current legislative and social drivers to reduce carbon and harmful emissions from buildings, Icopal, the world leader in building protection solutions, has recently launched its Eco-Activ® roofing range. This comprises a selection of products designed to provide architects and specifiers with versatile solutions to support the reduction of CO2 and other air pollutants from the environment.
Neil Harrison, Technical Director of Icopal, said: “There are many pressures facing building designers to ensure that components and materials are selected that help to minimise the structure’s impact on the environment. The Eco-Activ® range has been developed in response to this and it works actively with nature to enhance the building’s surrounding environment.”
Noxite® is a flexible roof waterproofing membrane manufactured with recycled bitumen content, which is then coated with a granular titanium dioxide finish. This coating helps to transform harmful nitrogen oxides produced from industry and transport into harmless nitrates.
The Noxite® technology is activated by ultraviolet radiation from the sun. When polluted air passes over the activated Noxite® membrane, the nitrogen oxide particles are converted into nitrates, which are then washed away by falling rainwater.
A highly effective means of reducing the environmental impact of a building, Noxite® will continue to work for the entire life of the roof membrane and can neutralise up to 52 million m3 of polluted air annually when installed on a roof measuring around 1,000m2.
Equally, Icopal’s green-roof systems can be used to create an attractive, natural roofing solution. Available in many options, including Extensive (Sedum, Meadow, Biodiverse) and Intensive systems suitable for turf, shrubs and trees. The Green Roof Systems offer a way of blending the roof design with its surrounding landscape.
Icopal green-roof systems offer the added advantage of water attenuation to reduce flood risk, which is often a consideration during the planning phase of a building.
Finally ICOSUN presents a Solar Photovoltaic (PV) flat roof solution by way of flexible modules that can be applied directly to the Icopal waterproof membrane. The PV cells work by converting daylight into electricity. This means they will work even on a cloudy day. The DC energy produced as a result of PV is then converted into AC electricity using an inverter to provide electricity that can be used within the building immediately, stored in batteries for use overnight, or sold back to the National Grid. This provides an ideal way for organisations to take advantage of the current feed-in tariff.
Underpinning the Eco-Activ® range is Icopal’s extensive spectrum of passive products. These work in conjunction with the Eco-Activ® range and feature geomembranes, acoustic products, insulative underlays such as Therm’X®, rooflights and ventilation systems.
Through its comprehensive technical support and deep expertise in roof coverings, Icopal will ensure that the right roofing finish is specified with the right roofing system to fulfil the design and performance criteria of the building.
For further information on Icopal’s extensive range of roofing solutions visit www.icopal.co.uk.