Issues of future energy supply, energy efficiency, climate change and sustainability are now high on the agendas of both governments and industry. The insulation industry has an important role to play in helping address these issues.
Comfort, Economy, Sustainability
ICANZ members have been at the forefront of developing solutions to improve energy efficiency and reduce energy waste in buildings for many decades. We know that the right insulation correctly installed is the most cost effective way of reducing energy waste, improving home energy efficiency and green house gas emissions from buildings and homes.
In a normal residential building pay-back of the total cost of insulation, depending on use of the dwelling and the type of heating and cooling systems used, is estimated at around 3.8 years and the insulation continues to save money and provide comfort for the householder for the life of the building.
Conversely, if a building remains uninsulated, over its projected life of 60 years the householder will have unnecessarily paid for the cost of the insulation 12 times over through the cost of wasted energy.
Healthy Homes
Effective insulation can improve comfort and health in the home.
Research conducted in New Zealand involving 1400 homes and nearly 5000 people found that people living in insulated homes that were warmer and drier reported a significant improvement in the health of adults and children compared to people living in the uninsulated homes (Housing and Health Research Program, Wellington School of Medicine, University of Otago).
Adults and children living in insulated homes reported less visits to their GP and were admitted less often to hospital for respiratory conditions. Adults were also significantly less likely to report sick days off work, and children were less likely to have days off school.
Don’t Generate – Insulate
The most sustainable energy is energy that is saved.
According to the Australian Greenhouse Office 1999 space heating and cooling accounts for around 39% of energy use in the home. At the same time domestic energy consumption is soaring, particularly in summer as the size of homes and the number of homes with air-conditioning increases. Power failures in meeting these peak energy demands are being experienced by all Australian states.
Yet only about half of Australian homes are insulated. (Australian Bureau of Statistics, Environmental Issues: People’s Views and Practices (No. 4602.0, 29 Nov. 2005).
Improved energy efficiency measures such as insulation can only create benefits for Australia’s future. To invest billions of dollars in new power stations in a poorly insulated Australia to meet the two or three days of peak power load per year is to perpetuate the energy waste and inefficient practices of the past and present. As part of the solution retrofitting insulation in the 40% of existing Australian homes that are uninsulated is essential.
Australian homes remain some of the least efficient in the in the developed world. Even the new 5 Star Building Code of Australia, which incorporates such design and material features as building orientation, insulation and glazing only requires insulation levels at around half of those of homes in the USA located in similar climate zones.
The right insulation matters
When purchasing insulation be aware that the energy efficiency of insulated buildings cannot be fully realised if the R-value of the insulation, falls short of that stated on the label after it is installed.
Consumers can be confident that glass wool and rock wool, correctly installed, will provide the R-value that they paid for. Glass wool and rock wool building insulation comply fully with all applicable standards and deliver improved comfort and energy savings for the life of the building while being safe for professional and DIY installers to use.
