As of May 2008 all new homes will be required to have mandatory ratings against the Code for Sustainable Homes; level 1 for a basic improvement on Building Regulations, up to level 6 for an exemplar home in sustainability terms. At present it remains voluntary to design and build a home to meet standards set out in the Code, however, regulations dictate that from May those selling new homes will be required to provide information to any prospective purchaser on the sustainability of the home.

This may raise the question for developers and homeowners alike: 'How can I ensure that my building is protected from further changes to building regulations?'

The solution is simple... seek an industry leading, high performance, economical system to facilitate in meeting the requirements of the Code for Sustainable Homes.

'Fusion Therma Shield 162' is a core component of the Fusion light gauge steel frame building system.

The 'Fusion Therma Shield 162' insulated external wall panel system was modified in August 2007 in anticipation of the new challenges posed by the Code for Sustainable Homes.

Fusion's independently accredited Thermal Bridging details comply with building regulations and with optional bespoke design it is possible to achieve significantly lower Psi values.


The elemental wall U-value of 'Fusion Therma Shield 162' is 0.21W/m2K with a traditional masonry outer leaf, thus providing excellent performance under the Energy and CO2 categories of the Code. Wall U-values as low as 0.12 W/m2K with the addition of complementary insulation products.

'Fusion Therma Shield 162' requires no counter battens to make services airtight within the external walls due to the unique properties of the panel. This results in significant cost savings on labour, material and internal floor space when compared to other construction methods. The industry leading inherent properties of 'Fusion Therma Shield 162' provide superior performance under Code categories Materials, Pollution, Waste (site waste) and Health and Wellbeing.

'Fusion Therma Shield 162' provides the perfect platform for external walls to achieve an A-rated standard with no extra expenditure. 'Fusion Therma Shield 162' insulated external wall panels mean superior thermal performance and increased energy efficiency of structures. This results in reduced operational heating costs, a shorter heat up period and the potential to downsize boilers and radiators. Fusion structures are robust and highly energy efficient.

Overall, a Fusion structure will assist in decreasing energy bills and CO2 emissions, thus reducing the occupier's personal carbon footprint. The excellent energy performance ratings that are facilitated by 'Fusion Therma Shield 162' ensure that all Fusion buildings also have excellent resale potential. The panelised nature of the Fusion light gauge steel frame system also makes structures suitable for modification as the needs of occupiers change.

Declan Wallace, Technical Director for Evolusion Building Technology Specialists (a division of the Fleming Group) said: "The requirements of the Code for Sustainable Homes brings forth the TRUE benefits of 'Fusion Therma Shield 162'. Fusion is ideally placed to achieve Code Level 4 at no extra cost from an elemental wall U-value point of view... it is great to see that industry standards are now rewarding the benefits of hybrid light gauge steel frame technology."