All hot air?
DURING recent snowfalls, the roof over the heated section of the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Headquarters lost much of its snow almost immediately, obviously due to a significant heat loss from within the building, whereas the unheated area over the entrance was unaffected and remained snow covered until it thawed naturally. This seems to indicate the building is insufficiently insulated to retain its heat energy and, therefore, not achieving its claimed environmental sustainabil
This building cost the taxpayer around 9 million and achieved 12 awards, including an "Excellent" rating of 79 per cent at the design stage by the British Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) for its sustainable design and low emissions, and won the Carbon Trust Low Carbon Building Award 2009. I wrote to BREEAM some time ago asking them to comment on the basis of their award, but they didn't reply.
In the light of the recent scandalous anthropocentric global warming claims, perhaps it's time to consider scrutinising the validity of green awards to determine if they are justified.
ANGUS MACMILLAN
Meikle Boturich
near Balloch, Dunbartonshire