Although structural insulated panels haven’t been around for as long as many other construction methods, they have rapidly proven their worth as an innovative building material within their short history.
It is widely believed that SIP panels were first used in North America in the early 1950s. In the United Kingdom, however, early pioneering work on SIPs took place in the early eighties by Tony and Nigel Palmer, with the first SIP building being constructed in the UK a few years later.
As the need for more economic and energy-efficient building alternatives grows, with building regulators requiring greater U values and airtightness in both domestic and commercial developments, more people are turning to offsite methods of manufacture, such as SIPs. In recent years, they have not only been specified as a means of achieving code four to six for Sustainable Development, but they can also be used to achieve Passive House Standard.
With the demand for structurally insulated panels increasing year on year, they are making a noticeable impact within the construction industry, and these figures are only set to rise.