New revised thermal insulation regulations on the way, says EWA

Manama : New revised thermal insulation regulations for building in the Kingdom will come into force in March 2019. This came during a specialised panel discussion held by Electricity and Water Authority on thermal insulation at its premises in Umm Al Hassam and based on a study commisioned by EWA on thermal insulation in building in the Kingdom. According to the revised regulation, the values o f thermal conductivity (U-Value) were changed from 0.75 to 0.57 for walls, 0.6 to 0.3 for ceilings, and for glass values.

The study focused on identifying the optimum values o f the heat transfer coefficient for walls and ceilings in addition to the technical specifications of the glass and the availability of materials and systems of heat insulation in the market.

A roadmap for implementing the amended thermal insulation regulations was also discussed on the occasion by EWA’s Electricity and Water Conservation Department. Use of thermal insulation in buildings, EWA officials said, is one of the most feasible ways to reduce electricity consumption, especially during the summer.

Chief Executive Officer of EWA, Sheikh Nawaf bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, said the authority has invested in the local market to “strengthen” control and to “verify the thermal conductivity of building materials”.

“The move falls in line with government’s efforts to increase the efficiency of buildings,” he said stressing the importance of professional evaluation in ensuring quality and performance of building materials.

The workshop was attended by more than 70 engineers representing various offices and relevant ministries in addition to officials and employees of

the EWA.