OPPOSITE Photo by MediaProduction.
WORDS MATT MCDONALD
ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN
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PRaCTICal
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JAN-MAR 2022
The best insulation solutions for you and the planet
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Considering its demonstrated ability to significantly improve the thermal efficiency of residential applications, insulation is one of the more obvious parts of the climate change solution, as well as a sure way to save on energy bills.
While it has become clear in recent years that the global construction sector contributes significantly to carbon emissions and will have to change significantly over the next decade to play its part in ensuring we meet net zero carbon emissions targets, it has also become clear that some aspects of this overall task are simpler to achieve than others. In the ‘difficult to achieve’ category we can place things like cement manufacturing, a process that according to some estimates, produces more greenhouse emissions than any other industrial activity; while in the ‘simple’ category it makes sense to place things like rejecting aluminium as much as possible and installing thermal insulation in our homes. After all, in the case of cement, we are talking about a material that is not easy to replace on a global scale and whose manufacturing process will take time to change, whereas in the case of aluminium, there are several alternatives
available for most applications in which it is commonly used. Similarly in the case of thermal insulation, quality products already exist and their benefits are well documented. As the Climate Council has pointed out, 40 percent of heat is lost through buildings’ ceilings and roofs, 24 percent is lost through their walls, and 10 percent is lost through their ceilings. And, according to the Victorian Government, insulation is a simple way to cut these figures. Used appropriately, it can reduce energy usage and its associated cost by 40 - 50 percent. In other words, insulation is an obvious and worthwhile choice for anybody interested in helping address the climate change problem. On top of that, it is a sure-fire way to save on energy costs. With all this in mind, here is a selection of some of the latest (and the best) products of this type for residential applications, along with their suppliers.
