Green Insulation: Material For Commercial Buildings
In construction, green insulation materials reduce thermal energy transmission through ceilings, floors, and walls. In simple terms, it keeps air-conditioned space cooler during summer and helps keep heated interior spaces warmer during winter. Minimizing the thermal energy transmission is essential in controlling energy costs and makes the room more comfortable.
Almost all building materials have inherent insulating properties, including Insulated Access Doors and Panels. Usually, it is measured based on its scaled value, known as R-value or heat flux. However, additional materials are required to add insulating value to ceilings, walls, and floors. And many of these insulating materials have now been abandoned to more efficient, modern, and green insulating materials. When designing a building structure, the type of insulating materials you select will depend on the R-value and climate.
Insulation helps a lot in minimizing energy costs so that it could be considered technically green. But eco-friendliness in insulating materials comes down to more than that. There are many factors to consider, such as the manufacturing, materials, process, toxicity, and others to develop a more eco-friendly material.
Importance Of Insulation
It is essential to understand thermodynamics to understand the importance of insulation in every building. While, it might sound complex somehow; however, it is pretty simple. It tells us about heat transfer; the temperature will move into different areas or directions. A temperature difference makes the heat move down, up, or sideways, from high temperature into lower temperature spaces or vice versa.
Another factor of temperature movement is air density. In winter, low-density air and warm temperature inside space will move out in the dense cold air outside. During summer, low-density air and warm temperature from outside will move inside a building space. While the cool, dense air inside the building space will escape going out.
The primary point of insulation is to prevent the movement of air in a specific space. And since air can move in any direction, insulation is necessary for ceilings, floors, walls, and roofs to prevent the air from leaving and entering a room or space.
Insulation is one of the factors that contribute to building efficiency. If the building has improper insulation, it will spend more on cooling and heating, consuming more energy, and costs money.
Types Of Green Insulation
Denim
Denim is a strong cotton fabric, and the cotton plant is both renewable and natural, making it incredibly eco-friendly and imagining cotton in the walls? It is not a stack of jeans on the walls, but denim rolled into batts, just like fiberglass. Cotton does not contain any harmful gas formaldehyde. Moreover, it is also an insect repellent and does not cause any respiratory problems. Denim or cotton insulation comes in a heavy price tag, twice the price of fiberglass insulation. But in terms of eco-friendly materials, this type of insulation has a significant positive impact on the climate.
Polystyrene
Polystyrene is a type of plastic. It came from an aromatic synthetic hydrocarbon gas called styrene. It was converted into a polymerization process through the poly monomer reactor to become plastic. Even though plastic traditionally is not green, it is still green because of its high R-values instances that could save energy. It comes from both spray foam or board, which significantly add structural integrity to walls.
Sheep’s Wool
Sheep wool is widely used in blankets and clothing to keep warm. However, this plush and fire-resistant material may also function as insulation in buildings. Compressed wool fibers will form air pockets that will trap air to keep the place warm during winter and cool during summer. This material absorbs moisture without affecting its ability to retain heat. Because of its properties, there is no need to constantly adjust the heating and cooling systems in the building, saving more energy and costs.
Icynene
Icynene foam insulation is a series of flexible and soft foam insulation that will expand when sprayed onto the surface. This material is not only excellent in sealing drafts and leaks; it also works in canceling noise or for soundproofing. This material has strong insulation powers that can deliver from 30 up to 50 percent greater energy savings than other insulation products.
Aerogel
This material contains more than 90 percent air. Aerogel is the product of the removal of liquid from silica through high temperature and pressure. This material comes in ultra-lightweight stickers or sheets that are easy to install or apply. It has an average price in the market of $2 per foot, but it saves a lot of energy and cost in heating and cooling systems in the building.
Cellulose
This insulation material comes from recycled newsprint and other types of paper often decomposed in landfills that release dangerous greenhouse gases when burned. This material is one of the safest types of insulation and is an excellent choice for those looking to reduce toxins in their buildings.
ThermaCork
This material is made from the outer bark of oak trees and is recyclable, natural, renewable, and biodegradable. The process of this product material has a record of negative carbon footprint. It reduces energy consumption and can do longer compared to other insulation material choices. It is free from domestic toxins, hypoallergenic, and a good soundproofing insulation material.
The Takeaway
Supporting green acts in your building material choices and considering installing green insulation materials in building projects could save a lot of energy consumption and less C02 emission in power plants. Any green materials in the construction will have a significant positive impact on our environment.
For better performance, you must appropriately install any insulation coming from sustainable materials. Compression, dampness, and air leaks are the main culprits for poor insulation because these allow heat and air to escape. There are a variety of insulation materials you can choose from in the market. Still, each situation is unique, and it is essential to consider all the factors when deciding what type of insulating material will suit your needs. It would be better to list the qualities you want most for your insulation, including the pros and cons of each option. It can help you to discover what choice will perfectly suit your needs.