Energy saving

Buildings designed and erected using traditional and now obsolete methods use up large amounts of energy every day, contributing in the process to higher levels of atmospheric pollution and, given the steadily rising cost of energy resources (oil, natural gas, coal, wood, etc.), burdening their occupants with increasingly heavy fuel bills. In effect, of all the energy consumed in any one season to heat and cool a building, most is dissipated through structural elements — roof, infills and windows — as well as by the heating and cooling systems themselves.

>When erecting and renovating new and existing buildings, a significant reduction in future expenditure on heating and air-conditioning will be achieved by adopting careful design solutions aimed at saving energy.

Buffa, a leading maker of building materials, has been offering special thermal insulation products for over 25 years. Intent on improving the thermal efficiency of buildings, Buffa offers Termovita, a range of innovative products and systems for thermal and sound insulation of walls and floors, enabling a notable reduction in the amount of energy used for heating and conditioning offices, and appreciable savings ultimately on fuel bills.

In this photograph, taken with a thermal imaging camera, it will be seen how a significant quantity of heat escapes from the building on the left, which is equipped with inadequate and insufficient insulating systems.
The building on the right, on the other hand, which has been insulated with a Termovita cladding system, allows much less heat to escape; here, real savings on heating and cooling costs are achieved, and optimum living comfort is assured by favourable thermo-hygrometric conditions.

In short, the THERMOVITA INSULATION SYSTEM is able to meet the needs of the customer by significantly reducing energy expenditure, while guaranteeing effective insulation against cold and/or heat, attenuation of noise, and the total elimination of mould and condensation problems. In addition, the application of Termovita systems may entitle customers to grants and tax breaks given under current statutory regulations, as is the case in Italy.

Termovita is suitable for any type of masonry: extruded brick, tufa, stone, pressed brick, concrete, etc.

The Termovita thermal-sound insulation system for walls is available in two different solutions:

1. Termovita with POLVIT thermal insulation panels;
2. Termovita using LIBECCIO THERMO plaster, RAIS THERMO plaster or CALCITE INTONACO THERMO plaster.

Installation of the Termovita system with POLVIT thermal insulation panels involves the following steps:

Also, depending on the design requirements, the panels can be of different types:

POLVIT ESPANSO and POLVIT GRAFITE panels can be coated with a variety of finishes, including acrylic (non breathable); other substrates can be finished only with breathable products to complete the installation.

Conversely, the Termovita system using thick coat plasters (LIBECCIO THERMO, in the example illustrated below) is made up as follows:

Termovita systems using LIBECCIO THERMO plaster, RAIS THERMO plaster or CALCITE INTONACO THERMO plaster must be finished exclusively with breathable products to complete the installation.

The thermal-sound insulation system for floors includes:

1. indoor solution:
   1. MANTO THERM (sound-absorbent felt layer applied to floor slab before screeding);
   2. FASCIA THERM ANGOLARE (expanded polyethylene adhesive strip applied to perimeter walls and substrate);
   
   3. PAVIMAX THERMO (premixed lightweight thermal-sound insulating screed).
2. outdoor solution for terraces:
   1. POLVIT ESPANSO (thermal-sound insulation panels made of EPS 100, white)
   2. POLIETILENE XL (vapour barrier)
   3. PAVIMAX THERMO + GRIGLIA PB (premixed lightweight thermal-sound insulating screed + electrically welded galvanized reinforcing grid)
   4. MALTA OSMOTICA 2C (tow-part osmotic mortar for application in two criss-cross coats)
   5. COPER CEM FLEX 2C + RETE PB (two-part cementitious membrane applied in 2 coats with glass fibre reinforcing mesh)
   6. COPER PAINT (flexible protective membrane applied in two coats over exposed two-part cementitious membrane).