Homeowner

Our Approach

After having interacted with insulation professionals, it was equally important for us to contact someone renovating the insulation of their house. We interviewed Olivier H., owner of a Neo-Gothic house in the heights of Vevey. More than a century old, it is a protected building of regional interest (class 3), and the interior was last touched in the 60s. Thus, the house was poorly insulated, consuming a lot of energy, furnished by an oil boiler. The objective of the renovation was to reach the standards of consumption of the 21st century, for ecological reasons. This would reduce the heating needs, and thus the energy consumption, along with improving the comfort of the inhabitants. Here, the economic facet was only of “practical” impact in Olivier's choice.

This feedback was important for, in addition to trying to understand Olivier's consumer logic, understanding what are the steps of insulation renovation.

Pre-construction Analysis

A thermal engineer was hired to carry out a building analysis certificate (Certificat Énergétique Cantonal des Bâtiments CECB). This is an analysis of the building envelope combined with a thermography from the inside (allowing to find the cold areas). A report, composed of three proposals for modifications to improve the energy balance, three different levels of efficiency and investments is then submitted to the property owner. Olivier chose the intermediate option.

This analysis was subsidized by the Swiss State, unlike the insulation of horizontal surfaces (roof and floor above the cellar)!

Achieved Work?

The improvement work started with the insulation of the cellar ceiling allowing easy access while minimizing disturbance for the inhabitants. The insulation was made with expanded polystyrene, covered by a thin second layer of fiber for its fireproof and aesthetic properties. The professionals i.e the engineer and the installation company only suggested this solution, without any other alternative. While the CO₂ footprint was taken into account in the ecological reflection, our team was intrigued by the use of expanded polystyrene. Indeed, it is an efficient and cheap material, but produced from fossil fuels, and very flammable. For Olivier, the CO₂ weight of the material was largely compensated by the savings in emissions that will be made thanks to the insulation. (As foreseen by Viviane Hamon), the end-of-life impact of the material on the environment was not yet fully considered by consumers. And no equivalent solutions in terms of characteristics, but more ecological, are proposed by experts.

The second phase of the work consisted of several aspects : removal of a cold well in the middle of the apartment, insulation of the attic floor with expanded polystyrene and a simple floor, and finally installation of polyurethane aluminum on a small part of the vertical wall. This last part allowed a test in real conditions of the solution, to potentially apply it during the following works.

The question of simplicity and speed was central for the customers. Indeed, the tenant has to be rehoused during this period according to an amicable arrangement, which is yet another parameter to take into account.

Conclusion

In conclusion, we had the opportunity to understand the steps of thermal renovation of a heritage building, which would potentially constitute a part of the market we are targeting. In this practical case, insulation is expected to last 50 years, which gives us a clear idea for the longevity of the product.

In the customer's logic, the main points that enter the logic of purchase are the following:

• speed and simplicity of implementation (closely related),

• relationship of trust with the realizers of the works

• as well as the price in front of the advantages.

It is thus these points we will have to take into account to provide an affordable product; easily applicable, having the confidence of the people involved in the renovation while having a much lower impact on the environment than all current competitors.