The criteria for qualification is set by an independent panel and reviewed annually. In addition the Energy Saving Trust test a percentage of products approved by the scheme so that the consumer can rest assured that ‘where there’s a logo, there’s a smarter choice!’.

The idea is that whatever the product, which ever the labelling system – all you need to do is look for the Energy Saving Recommended logo.

January 2010 – the flagship project commenced. This was a 100 day challenge to apply EWI to 100 properties in 100 days at sites in Birmingham, Luton and Manchester.

Following on from the success of the 100 day challenge E.ON and Wetherby now have projects running in Dudley, Leicester and Kidderminster with a host of other large scale CESP schemes in the pipeline.

Wetherby have dedicated full time internal staff to support the E.ON contracts adding to the day to day activity at the Golborne site where Wetherby also offer training, product samples, detailed specifications and full technical advice to ensure the smooth running of these major contracts.

Scooping the category of ‘Best Waste Management Initiative in the Commercial and Public Sector’, the award was presented in recognition of the work undertaken by the partnership to deliver zero waste to landfill on a 206 property CESP (Community Energy Savings Programme) project for Dudley Council. The project was a group collaboration between Wetherby Building Systems, E-On, Kingspan Insulation and Entec UK and proved to be a resounding success.

Wetherby Managing Director Bob Deane comments, “Phenolic insulation board ‘off-cuts’ make up a large volume of the site waste generated during external wall insulation schemes. With each full load of phenolic insulation boards delivered to site, Wetherby co-ordinated a delivery of Kingspan bulk bags which were filled with off-cut phenolic insulation at the point of installation. The bags were transported using a forklift truck to a central site storage area at the end of each day and checked by the driver for any mixed waste which would have contaminated the contents. The full bags were collected with the next delivery and returned to Kingspan, where they were shredded and compacted into fuel briquettes and used by a local cement kiln for burning as solid recovered fuel.

Across the trial period (Oct 10—Jan 11) 4.36 tonnes of phenolic board were recovered. As a high volume, low weight material this equates to approximately 21 skip loads of avoided disposal. Based on removal charges of £125 per skip (at the time of the trial) this represents avoided waste management costs of £2,625. Taking into account the charge of £150 per tonne levied by Kingspan for managing the take back of the material the net saving over the trial was £1,971. On a ‘per tonne’ basis this gives a 75% cost saving over landfill.

At the Awards for Excellence Steve Eminton, Editor of letsrecycle.com, said: “The judges were very impressed with the way that a waste material was being diverted from landfill and the carbon footprint reduced through energy recovery. It was also noted that a number of parties had come together to ensure the success of the project”.

Sheets of expanded polystyrene (with mineral wool fire barriers) were adhesively and mechanically fixed to the masonry test wall and a large fire lit to emulate a potential fire within a property.

The flame and heat generated really put the system to the test, yet it passed with flying colours.

This result will undoubtedly strengthen Specifier confidence in Wetherby’s External Wall Insulation Systems and the company’s dedication towards providing quality systems that are technically robust.

This is the fourth Wetherby system to achieve BS8414 certification.