Heating and air conditioning

Insulation ensures energy efficiency in every part of the building envelope including ground decks, roofs lofts, walls and facades. It is also well suited for pipes and boilers to reduce the energy loss of a building’s technical installations and in power plants, aboard ships and oil rigs, etc.

Insulation is as relevant in cold regions as in hot ones. In cold/cool regions, insulation keeps a building warm and limits the need for energy for heating whereas in hot/warm regions the same insulation systems keep the heat out and reduce the need for air conditioning.

According to a McKinsey/Vattenfall study, air conditioning will triple before 2030 mainly in North America, China and other developing countries.

On sunny days, a roof temperature of 70ºC is not unusual. Without insulation the scolding heat can penetrate the building and transform it into a sweatbox where people find it uncomfortable and difficult to work or live. E.g. the annual energy consumption in typical new office buildings in Malaysia and the Asian region is 200-300 kWh/m2. This is much higher than in colder Northern Europe.

Without insulation the scolding heat can penetrate the building and transform it into a sweatbox

Poorly insulated buildings mean excessive need for air conditioning

Italy and Spain are among the major energy hogs.

Thermografic photos reveal energy loss. Red areas are the most poorly insulated.
Source: Eurima, The critical importance of building insulation for the environment, Bruxelles, 2002.

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