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Boost Your Efficiency.
Accurate PSI Values for
Compliance Done Right

When building for low energy use, PSI values truly matter. We provide accurate thermal bridging calculations that help your project perform better and easily meet Building Regulations Part L, completely avoiding the penalties of default assumptions.

2D/3D Thermal Modeling
SAP Score Improvement
Nationwide Reach

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Bridging the Gap

What Exactly is a PSI Value?

If you are familiar with U-values—which demonstrate the rate of heat loss through flat surfaces like walls or roofs—PSI values are the vital missing link. They measure the heat that escapes where these flat surfaces join together.

Put simply, U-values cover heat loss across a continuous surface, while PSI (Ψ) values measure the linear heat loss through edges and corners (such as where a floor meets a wall, or a window frame joins a wall). These areas are known as thermal bridges and are often responsible for a massive percentage of a building's overall heat loss.

  • Stop Guessing: Eliminate the heavy penalty defaults applied in SAP calculations.
  • Improve Energy Ratings: Accurate PSI values drastically improve your EPC score.
  • Nationwide Expertise: Trusted by developers in Manchester, London, Liverpool & Birmingham.
Book Your PSI Assessment →
Wall U-Value: 0.18
Floor U-Value: 0.13
! Ψ-value (Heat Loss): 0.15 W/mK
The Hidden Risk

The Impact of Ignoring PSI Values

Thermal bridges might look small on a blueprint, but neglecting them during the design phase can severely damage your building's performance and compliance.

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Increased Heat Loss

Heat escapes much faster through weak joints, leading to chronically higher heating bills and poor energy efficiency, especially in colder climates like Manchester.

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Condensation & Mould

Uninsulated junctions create "cold patches" that draw moisture from the air, inevitably leading to damp, aggressive mould growth, and structural decay.

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Reduced Thermal Comfort

Severe thermal bridges create cold downdrafts near exterior walls and windows, making rooms feel unevenly heated and chilly during a typical UK winter.

SAP / Part L Failure

Without custom PSI calculations, assessors must use default "worst-case" penalty figures in SAP, often causing otherwise good designs to fail Building Regulations.

Comprehensive Guide

The Hidden Culprit: Understanding Thermal Bridges

When it comes to energy efficiency in modern buildings, U-values simply don’t paint the full picture. A thermal bridge occurs when there is a break in the building's continuous insulation layer, creating a direct path for heat to aggressively leak out.

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    Geometric Complexities: Heat loss can be heavily amplified at corners, where the external heat-loss area is much larger than the internal surface area.
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    Construction Issues: Highly conductive materials (like solid concrete blocks or steel lintels) used at joints bypass insulation entirely, leaking vast amounts of heat.
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    The Y-Value: Your property's overall heat loss via thermal bridging is summarized as the "Y-value" in a SAP report.

Where Do PSI Values Come Into Play?

Whether you're developing high-end apartments in London or executing a deep retrofit in Liverpool, accurate PSI modeling is critical in three major areas:

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New Build Design (Part L)

To pass strict SAP targets, you must prove your junctions are efficient. Default assumptions are highly penalizing. Custom PSI modeling provides the accurate numbers needed to pass Part L seamlessly.

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Retrofits & Conversions

When adding internal wall insulation to existing structures, new thermal bridges are inadvertently created at party walls and floors. PSI analysis ensures these retrofits won't induce hidden mould.

The Secret to Passing SAP Without Solar Panels

Many developers spend thousands on extra solar PV panels or expensive triple glazing trying to force a failing SAP score to pass. Frequently, the cheapest and most effective solution is simply commissioning custom PSI value calculations to eliminate default penalties and dramatically lower the Y-value.

How Are PSI Values Accurately Calculated?

Working out a PSI value replaces guesswork with meticulous physics. Our accredited technicians use the following methodology to model your project:

  • 1
    Analyze Material Properties Every component of a junction—insulation, bricks, gaps, fixings—conducts heat differently (Lambda value). We precisely map how thick they are and exactly how they are placed.
  • 2
    Evaluate Junction Geometry Some junctions are simple, like straight party walls. Others are highly complex, such as steel-supported eaves in a loft conversion. The more complex the geometry, the higher the risk of heat escaping.
  • 3
    Utilize Specialized Thermal Software We use advanced 2D and 3D finite element analysis (FEA) software. These tools simulate thermodynamic heat flow, visually highlighting where energy is being lost through the junction.
  • 4
    Identify & Advise on Improvements We don't just give you a number. If a junction performs poorly, we advise your architect on exactly how to redesign it—perhaps by adding an insulated lintel or thermal break block—to achieve optimal performance.
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Why Choose Armeec?

We provide accurate, actionable thermal modeling for projects across the UK.

Advanced Thermal Software
SAP Integration Experts
Design Stage Advice
Fast Report Generation
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The Armeec Expertise

Reliable, Compliant, Nationwide

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Accurate Thermal Modeling

We abandon rough estimates and default penalties. We calculate bespoke, highly accurate PSI values tailored to the exact geometry and materials of your specific build.

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Cost-Effective Strategies

By optimizing your thermal bridges on paper, we routinely save developers thousands of pounds on redundant insulation and renewable tech required to force a SAP pass.

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Integrated Service

Because we handle SAP calculations, EPCs, and PSI values simultaneously, our approach is highly cohesive, exceptionally fast, and notably more affordable.

Common Questions

Frequently Asked Queries About PSI Values

Everything you need to know about navigating thermal bridging analysis.

What is the difference between a U-Value and a PSI Value?
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A U-value measures the rate of heat loss through a continuous, flat structural element (like a solid wall or a roof). A PSI (Ψ) value measures the extra, linear heat loss that occurs where two of those flat surfaces meet (like the corner where the wall hits the floor).
Do I actually need PSI calculations for my project?
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While not strictly mandatory for every single build, without them, your SAP assessor must use heavily penalized "default" values. For modern, highly insulated homes or complex extensions, these default penalties will almost certainly cause your project to fail Building Regulations Part L.
What is an Accredited Construction Detail (ACD)?
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ACDs were a set of standardized junction designs that offered pre-calculated, compliant PSI values. However, as of the recent Part L updates, the government has phased out the use of old ACDs. This means bespoke PSI modeling is now more critical than ever to pass SAP.
What do you need from me to run the calculation?
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We simply require your architectural junction detail drawings (usually 1:10 or 1:20 scale) that clearly show the intersection, alongside the material specification (thermal conductivities/Lambda values) for each layer of the build-up.
Ready to Start?

Ready to Eliminate Heat Loss & Ensure Compliance?

Don’t risk your Building Control sign-off or rely on penalized default assumptions. Get in touch with Armeec today for expert, accurate thermal modeling.

Call Armeec Now (+44 7816 587548) Email for a Quote