May 28, 2009

National Research Council study tracks insulation energy costs

PETER KENTER

correspondent

Canada consumes more energy per capita than most countries because of its northern climate and by default, it makes choosing effective building insulation materials critical.

While much is known about the thermal properties of common insulating materials, little is known about the energy consumed in manufacturing these materials, transporting them to market and ultimately recycling or disposing of them.

A new National Research Council (NRC) study aims to quantify the total energy impact of a wide range of insulating materials to help builders and designers make the most environmentally-informed choices possible.

“Buildings account for more than 30 per cent of Canada’s national energy consumption, so an improvement in the performance of thermal insulation has the potential to be an important contributor to increased energy efficiency in the built environment,” says Dr. Phalguni Mukhopadhyaya, Associate Research Officer, Performance of Roof Systems and Insulation with the NRC Institute for Research in Construction (NRC-IRC).

“A variety of insulation products has been used in the Canadian construction industry, but little is known about their environmental impact,” he says.

The four-year research project is designed to identify eco-friendly, high-performance thermal insulation materials—those that are renewable, energy-efficient, biodegradable and indigenousand to develop a thermal insulation selection guideline for users.

“We know it isn’t going to be an easy task because a lot of this is not easy to quantify but perhaps we can put something together that will give us a ballpark figure of each generic material prior to use and after use,” he says.

The research team will make extensive use of existing literature and information supplied by manufacturers.

“We want to make it clear that we won’t be trying to show that one material is better than another,” says Mukhopadhyaya. “A material that has high energy inputs in manufacturing may be the best choice if it insulates well over a 40-year service period. Each material must be judged on its unique characteristics.”

NRC-IRC researchers recently completed a study on high-performance thermal insulation materials, particularly the characterization and development of high-performance vacuum insulation panels. This study builds on that work and to ensure better representation from the construction industry as a whole, NRC-IRC is inviting new industry partners to participate in the research.

Print | Email | Comment