Primary Energy Implications of different Wall Insulation Materials for Buildings in a Cold Climate

Abstract

In this study, we investigate the influence of different external wall insulation systems on the primary energy use of a case study building in southern Sweden. We vary the insulation material of the external walls from rock wool to glass wool or expanded polystyrene (EPS) to achieve different energy-efficiency standards of the building. We apply appropriate thicknesses of the different insulation materials to achieve similar thermal transmittance (U-value) of the external walls under the different energy-efficiency standards. The different options are based on the same architectural design. We calculate and compare the primary energy for production of the insulation materials and for operation of the buildings. Rock wool gives the lowest primary energy for production, followed by glass wool and EPS for each energy efficiency standard, although the difference between rock wool and glass wool is small.