2019: A Year In Review For KORE Insulation

by Brian Flax | Dec 19, 2019

As 2019 draws to a close, we reflect on another successful year for KORE and our team. We are fortunate to have a team of dedicated and hard working employees and installers who work tirelessly all year round. We would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge our employees, installers and customers for another wonderful year. Let’s take a look at some of our proudest moments of 2019.

KORE certified to ISO certification 9001, ISO 14001 & ISO 45001

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2019 started on a high with successful audits for our ISO certification 9001:2015 (Quality Management Systems), ISO 14001:2015 (Environmental Management Systems) and additional accreditation to ISO 45001: 2018 (Occupational Health & Safety) Standard, upgraded from the previous 18001.

ISO 45001, Occupational Health & Safety allows us to improve employee safety, reduce workplace risks and create better, safer working conditions for all at KORE. ISO 9001, Quality Management provides guidance for us as a company to ensure consistent quality improvement in our products and services to meet customer requirements.

ISO certification and standards are very important to KORE, we became the first company in Ireland to achieve certification for both ISO 9001:2015 (Quality Management) and ISO 14001:2015 (Environmental Management) in 2015. We always strive to achieve more for our customers and employees, with consistent standard upgrades and new standard implementation.

KORE receives Environmental Product Declaration

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KORE were thrilled to receive an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) for KORE products EPS70 White, EPS70 Silver, EPS100 White, EPS100 Silver, EPS150 White, EPS200 & EPS300 in March of 2019. KORE became the first EPS manufacturer in Ireland to have its product certified by the Irish Green Building Council (EPD Ireland) and Eco Platform Europe. KORE’s EPD measures the complete life cycle of the product,from raw materials when they leave country of origin, through the complete manufacturing process, to when the product leaves the gate. Using Products with an EPD can get additional credits in Building Sustainable Assessment schemes like the Home Performance Index, LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) and BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method).

Download our EPD Now

KORE successfully participated in online campaigns for health and safety and the environment

September saw KORE and our employees participate for the second year in the World Green Building Week environmental awareness campaign, in association with Irish Green Building Council. 

This years theme was about #BuildingLife and the carbon emissions from all stages of a building’s life cycle. KORE promoted online the use of renewable energy sources, alternative methods of building construction with lower carbon emissions, and KORE Retrofit actively held events with local sustainable energy communities to educate about energy efficiency upgrades for properties, and the grants available for them. All KORE employees pledged to lower their carbon emissions by car sharing, offsetting their carbon footprint with flying and to educate themselves more on reducing their carbon footprint.

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In October, we participated in Construction Industry Federation (CIF) Safety Week where we held tool box talks everyday on working safety with electricity, working safely at heights, with vehicles and lifting operations. We started the week with providing new personal protective equipment for all production employees, including new warm hi-vis safety jackets, as well as handing out new idea cards to each employee to complete, with a prize for the best new idea. A safety quiz was completed by all employees, with numerous winners with great ideas on improving health & safety at KORE.

KORE’s Continual Professional Development Roadshow success

2019 saw KORE hold numerous Continual Professional Development (CPD) courses around Ireland with various partners including Daikin, STO, K-Rend and Ecological Building Systems. Education and training are important to us as we believe it is integral to fight Climate Action, and to present a collaborative renewable energy solution to the masses.

Andrew Butler, KORE’s technical business development manager also conducted CPD’s around Ireland on various products including KORE Fill, KORE Insulated Foundation System and Exceeding nZEB with KORE. The CPD’s have been received by architects, insulation contractors, quantity surveyors, college students and County Councils members.

In 2020, KORE will further their partnerships with other renewable energy stakeholders and present a number of CPD courses around the island of Ireland.

If you would like to sign up for notifications on the KORE 2020 CPD Roadshow please sign up here, or if you or your organisation would like a CPD training course please contact us. 

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KORE participate in various trade shows & events in 2019

Sustainable Energy Authority Ireland (SEAI) kicks off the trade show calendar every year with the Energy Show in Dublin’s RDS. KORE presented their fabric first approach to the industry with their insulation solutions for new and retrofit buildings. Andrew Butler, KORE’s technical business development manager gave a presentation on KORE Fill Cavity Wall Insulation at the best practice demonstration area, while Caroline Ashe Brady, KORE’s commercial director spoke about commercial retrofit upgrades at the SEAI Energy Theatre.

Q3 saw KORE take part in Self Build Live Dublin and Cork, with huge interest in KORE’s Insulated Foundation System. KORE exhibited at the Architecture + Building Expo in October, where our insulated foundation system got commended for best exterior product at the Architect’s Choice Awards.

KORE Retrofit took part in their first solo trade show at the Ideal Home Show at Dublin’s RDS in late October. There were huge levels of interest around grant schemes for existing properties, and the upgrade of residential energy efficiency measures.

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KORE Retrofit also held a number of events this autumn with Sustainable Energy Communities (SEC) in Galway, Westmeath and Cavan. These events aim to inform local communities about grant aid and energy efficiency upgrade measures available to them. KORE Retrofit plays an active role in these SEC’s as project managers and grant facilitators, with the prime focus on educating the public into bringing their homes to a higher building energy rating, while saving costs and helping the environment.

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KORE held events for Employees and Customers

It is very important for KORE to show our employees how much we appreciate them, and to keep them informed of the future of the company. This June we held a summer fun day for all employees, where we had presentations from all departments including sales, technical, operations and retrofit, as well as team building games and fun quizzes.

Employees received service awards for time with the company and KORE honoured four employees for their dedication to health & safety, quality, customer service and innovation.

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Another annual event for KORE is our customer event where we provide a day of training and development to all our contractors in the arena of Nearly Zero Energy Building (nZEB) and Market Positioning.

The implementation of changes to Part L building regulations directly affect KORE and our contractors with new build and retrofit building energy rating and usage.

Programme Manager, Near Zero Energy Buildings & High Performance Retrofit from Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) Orla Coyle, spoke on the changes in both new build and retrofit properties, focusing on key dates, grants available and schemes to assist homeowners. In terms of retrofit, Pauric Kavanagh, KORE Operations Director, Caroline Ashe Brady, Commercial Director and John B Smith, Retrofit Programme Manager spoke about various schemes KORE facilitate with SEAI, the learning we have experienced over the years, and how we must position ourselves for growth given the Climate Action Plan 2019.

The new build part of the day focused on market trends, positioning of EPS wall insulation in the market, tactics for delivering a one stop shop for nZEB and the collaborative sales approach between the manufacturer and the contractor. Archie O’Donnell, i3PT Certifications Energy & Sustainability specialist addresses the audience with the importance of certification of passive build and the modern methods of construction.

Ireland’s new building regulations Part L are now in effect as of November 1st 2019, and you can read more on nZEB and what it means for you in our blog.

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KORE welcomes new employees

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KORE welcomed two new employees in 2019 in sales and production. Leon Creamer (below) is our Munster based Technical Sales Manager, and Glen Gargan (above, second from left) our new Office Administrator.

We look forward to expanding the team in 2020 with more dedicated, hard working employees.

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KORE Retrofit Better Energy Communities scheme 2019 is a huge success

KORE Retrofit had another successful year with the completion of 12 properties under the Better Energy Communities scheme 2019, in association with Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI). Within this scheme we upgraded seven homes and five commercial properties with upgrades such as insulation, heating systems, solar PV systems, LED lighting upgrades and more.

Below is Mark Shaw of Shaws Department store Carlow describing the process of the KORE retrofit upgrade on his 30,000 sq/ft shop which received LED lighting upgrades within two weeks, with a reduction of 35% in energy bills.

The images below show a home in Dubin who participated in the Better Energy Communities scheme 2019 with SEAI and KORE. This house began the upgrade process with a G-Rating, and had the following measures installed:

  • KORE External Wall Insulation
  • KORE Roof Insulation
  • KORE Floor @Insulation
  • Triple Glazed windows and doors
  • Mitsubishi air-to-water heat pump

After all retrofit measures were completed, a new Building Energy Rating (BER) OF A3 was established. .

This autumn KORE has partnered with a number of Sustainable Energy Communities around Ireland to spread awareness of the schemes on offer by SEAI to upgrade homes, businesses and community organisations. KORE have held events and open days in Galway and Westmeath so far, with an event in the new year in Cavan. We aim to assist communities in upgrading their energy efficiency seamlessly, quickly and at an affordable price range for them.

KORE provide NZEB training with Exceeding NZEB CPD’s and information with blogs and new brochures

Changes to Part L 2019, also know as Nearly Zero Energy Building (nZEB) came into effect on November 1st 2019. Simply put, nZEB refers to a building, whether commercial or domestic, as one with a high energy performance and a very low energy requirement. Energy may be generated by renewable energy sources either nearby or directly on-site. Changes to Part L 2019 affect both new build and retrofit buildings in different ways. New build properties must increase their energy performance by using renewable energy sources and drastically decreasing the use of fossil fuels.

New homes must be designed and built to ensure the lowest possible energy usage, reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions associated with this energy use. Ways to achieve this include the use of a fabric first approach (Insulation), the use of renewable energy sources (solar PV), air tightness and more. Retrofitting an existing building still as implications under the changes in Part L 2019, whereby the renovation or refurbishment of the building exceed 25% of the total surface area of the building. These buildings must reach a B2 Building Energy Rating (BER), which can be accomplished by external wall insulation upgrades, window and door replacement, attic insulation and more.

As mentioned above nZEB building regulations have huge implications on the construction industry in Ireland and at KORE we wanted to play our part in educating the masses about nZEB and the future of building. We have held numerous events around Ireland titled ‘Exceeding nZEB’, where we and an industry partner discuss the changes in regulations and how you can easily achieve these new standards. We have also created an array of nZEB brochures for the industry to educate, inform and have as a reference point.

We will be taking our nZEB Roadshow around Ireland again in 2020 with some new and exciting partners. If you would like to be the first to know our dates and locations please sign up now!

KORE introduces new floor product- KORE T-Beam

KORE T-Beam Insulation is an alternative solution to traditional block and beam floors for use in a variety of applications where ground conditions are poor. This insulated flooring system is designed to minimise thermal bridging at the wall-to-floor junction and ensure proper airtightness throughout the building envelope.

KORE T-Beam Insulation can insulate t-beams in a number of ways: between and under the t-beam, between and above the t-beam and between, under and above the t-beam. KORE T-Beam floor insulation is suitable for a variety of construction methods, including cavity walls, solid block walls, timber frame and SIPs.

Benefits of choosing KORE T-Beam Insulation Solution include:

  • It installs quickly and easily as it is made of versatile Expanded Polystyrene.
  • It eliminates the need for cranes, as EPS is lightweight and cut to suit each project.
  • It reduces onsite waste and clutter as it is supplied to suit exact requirements on site, reducing cost as well as waste.
  • It is environmentally friendly and safe to use. KORE EPS is chemically inert, safe to handle, and can be recycled at the end of its use.
  • It can be used with most construction types, including cavity wall construction, solid block walls, timber frame and Structural Insulated Panels.
  • Provides high thermal performance.
  • Provides low u-values.
  • It is moisture resistant and rot proof.
  • It will last the lifetime of the building with minimal maintenance and upkeep.
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KORE T-Beam can be used in bottom beam applications (below the t-beams), or top sheet applications (above the t-beams), please see below. Achieve u-values as low as 0.12 W/m2K depending on T-Beam material and thickness. Find out more about KORE T-Beam.

KORE introduces new software for business processes

KORE introduced a new enterprise resource planning software solution called Herbst in November of 2019. This software encompasses all areas of business processes including stock production and dispatch, procurement, sales and relationship marketing. This new system allows all departments to communicate on one platform, providing more efficient work processes for our team, and improved customer service for our customers.

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We also introduced a new human resources platform which enables a seamless, quick and easy method of communication between all employees and management.

KORE are thrilled to have upgraded all business processes online with two advanced software solutions. These reduce time spent on tasks, and allow us to have more efficient management of customer and employee needs.

KORE’s new website launched

January 2018 saw the launch of KORE’s new website, created to meet the needs of the construction industry with a resource centre for our technical downloads, a new online shopping experience, easy to navigate features such as new build, existing build, and low energy build solutions. The KORE academy was also created as a training platform for topics such as retrofit, lean construction and changes to Part L 2019 building regulation.

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KORE’s new website also allows our customers to get to know the company more, our history, our values, and most importantly get to know our employees.

Our new website is created for you, if you have any queries please don’t hesitate to contact us.

If you have any questions or queries for the team at KORE, please email us [email protected] or call 049-4336998. 

From the whole team at KORE, thank you for your continued support and we look forward to working with you in the new year!