An environmental impact comparison of external wall insulation types

Building and Environment

Volumn 85, Issue , 2015, Pages 182-189

  Densley Tingley, Danielle ^a   Hathway, Abigail ^a   Davison, Buick ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD   (United Kingdom)

Author keywords

Environmental impact; External wall insulation; LCA; Retrofit

Indexed keywords

CARBON; FOAMS; HEATING; INSULATING MATERIALS; INSULATION; POLYSTYRENES; PROCESSING; WALLS (STRUCTURAL PARTITIONS);

CARBON SEQUESTRATION; EXPANDED POLYSTYRENE; EXTERNAL WALL INSULATIONS; INSULATION MATERIALS; LCA; RETROFIT; ROCKWOOL INSULATIONS; THERMAL EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENTS;

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT;

CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT; INSULATION; LIFE CYCLE ANALYSIS; WALL;

UNITED KINGDOM;

EID: 84919727534     PISSN: 03601323     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1016/j.buildenv.2014.11.021     Document Type: Article

References (35)

1. UKGBC Retrofit 2014, Available at:, [accessed 19.06.14]. http://www.ukgbc.org/content/retrofit.
2. BRE Housing Energy analysis focus report - a study of hard to treat homes using the English house condition survey. Part 1: dwelling and household characteristics of hard to treat homes 2008, [BRE, Defra and energy saving trust report].
3. Institut Bauen und Umwelt e.V EDP-PTX-2010121-D. Environmental product declaration, in accordance with ISO 14025 2010, PAVATEX Woodfibre Insulation Board.
4. Communities and Local Government English housing survey - housing stock report 2008 2010, Department for Communities and Local Government Publications, London.
5. Schmidt A.C., Jensen A.A., Clausen A.U., Kamstrup O., Postlethwaite D. Acomparative life cycle assessment of building insulation products made of stone wool, paper wool and flax, part 2L comparative assessment. Int J LCA 2004, 9(2):122-129.
6. Azari R. Integrated energy and environmental life cycle assessment of office building envelopes. Energy Build 2014, 82:156-162.
7. Shrestha S.S., Biswas K., Desjarlais A.O. Aprotocol for lifetime energy and environmental impact assessment for building insulation materials. Environ Impact Assess Rev 2014, 46:25-31.
8. Intini F., Kuhtz S. Recycling in buildings: an LCA case study of a thermal insulation panel made of polyester fibre, recycled from post-consumer PET bottles. Int J LCA 2011, 16:306-315.
9. Zampori L., Dotelli G., Vernelli V. Life cycle assessment of hemp cultivation and use of hemp-based thermal insulator materials in buildings. Environ Sci Technol 2013, 47:7413-7420.
10. Ardente F., Beccali M., Cellura M., Mistretta M. Building energy performance: a LCA case study of kenaf-fibres insulation board. Energy Build 2008, 40:1-10.
11. Batouli S.M., Zhu Y., Nar M., O'Souza N.A. Environmental performance of kenaf-fibre reinforced polyurethane: a life cycle assessment approach. JClean Prod 2014, 66:164-173.
12. Ingrao C., Lo Giudice A., Tricase C., Rana C., Mbohaw C., Siracusa V. Recycled-PET fibre based panels for building thermal insulation: environmental impact and improvement potential assessment for a greener production. Sci Total Environ 2014, 493:914-929.
13. Ricciardi P., Belloni E., Cotana F. Innovative panels with recycled materials: thermals and acoustic performance and life cycle assessment. Appl Energy 2014, 134:150-162.
14. Dowson M., Grogan M., Birks T., Harrison D., Craig S. Streamlined life cycle assessment of transparent silica aerogel made by supercritical drying. Appl Energy 2012, 97:396-404.
15. La Rosa A.D., Recca A., Gagliano A., Summerscales J., Latteri A., Cozzo G., et al. Environmental impacts and thermal insulation performance of innovative composite solutions for building applications. Constr Build Mater 2014, 55:406-414.
16. British Standards Institution BS EN ISO 14040:2006. Environmental management - life cycle assessment - principles and framework 2006.
17. HM Government The building regulations 2010, L1B conservation of fuel and power in existing dwellings 2010, NBS, London.
18. JRC-IES ILCD Handbook, international reference life cycle data system, recommendations for life cycle impact assessment in the European context - based on existing environmental impact assessment models and factors 2011, Publication Office of the European Union, Luxemburg.
19. Rosenbaum R.K., Huijbregts M.A.J., Henderson A.D., Margni M., McKone T.E., van de Meent D., et al. USEtox human exposure and toxicity factors for comparative assessment of toxic emissions in life cycle analysis: sensitivity to key chemical properties. Int J Life Cycle Assess 2011, 16:710-727.
20. Seppala J., Posch M., Johansson M., Hettelingh J.P. Country-dependent characterisation factors for acidification and terrestrial eutrophication based on accumulated exceedance as an impact category indicator. Int J LCA 2006, 6:403-416.
21. Henderson A.D., Hauschild M.Z., van de Meent D., Huijbregts M.A.J., Larsen H.F., Margni N., et al. USEtox fate and ecotoxicity factors for comparative assessment of toxic emissions in life cycle analysis: sensitivity to key chemical properties. Int J Life Cycle Assess 2011, 16:701-709.
22. Smith V.H., Tilman G.D., Nekola J.C. Eutrophication: impacts of excess nutrient inputs on freshwater, marine and terrestrial ecosystems. Environ Pollut 1999, 100:179-196.
23. Densley Tingley D., Hathway A., Davison B., Allwood D. The environmental impact of phenolic foam insulation boards. Proc ICE: Constr Materials 2014, In Press. 10.1680/coma.14.00061.
24. Ecoinvent Centre The ecoinvent database 2013, Available at:, [accessed 25.11.13]. http://www.ecoinvent.org/database/.
25. Hammond G., Jones C. Embodied carbon: the inventory of carbon and energy (ICE). ABSRIA guide - BG 10/2011 2011, BSRIA Ltd., Bracknell, UK. F. Lowrie, P. Tse (Eds.).
26. NBT - Natural Building Technology. System product data, Available at: ; [accessed 05.12.13]. http://www.natural-building.co.uk/systems/new-build/pavawall.
27. US Department of Energy EnergyPlus energy simulation software, weather data, all regions, United Kingdom 2012, Available at:, [accessed 03.12.13]. http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/energyplus/cfm/weather_data3.cfm/region=6_europe_wmo_region_6/country=GBR/cname=United%20Kingdom.
28. BBA British Board of Agreement, Technical approvals for construction Wetherby Building Systems Ltd The epsicon 2 - external wall insulation system 2013, certificate no. 03/4058.
29. Hobbs J., Ashford P. Building insulation foam resource efficiency partnership, resource efficiency action plan 2012, WRAP, Construction Products Association & Bre Trust Publication.
30. Densley Tingley D., Hathway A., Davison B. The environmental impact of retrofitting solid wall homes. Engineering sustainability conference proceedings 2013, Pittsburgh, April 7-9 2013 2013.
31. Mielke E., Anadon L.D., Narayanamurti V., Peirce B. Water consumption of energy resource extraction, processing and conversion. A review of the literature for estimates of water intensity of energy-resource extraction, processing to fuels and conversion to electricity 2010, Discussion Paper, 2010-15, Energy Technology Innovation Policy Research Group, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School.
32. Climate change act 2008 2008, The Stationary Office Limited, London, UK, [chapter 27].
33. United Nations Kyoto protocol to the United Nations framework convention on climate change 1998.
34. Knauf Insulation Thermoshell - EPS board datasheet 2011, Available at:, [accessed 17.11.14]. http://www.knaufinsulation.co.uk/.
35. HM Government Official statistics: final UK greenhouse gas emissions 2014, Department of Energy and Climate Change.