This report reviews how insulation materials have been assessed within The Green Guide to Specification, including the application of the Environmental Profiles methodology which underlies The Green Guide data. The way in which insulation is addressed within building-level environmental assessment schemes such as BREEAM and the Code for Sustainable Homes is also explained.

The report will give manufacturers and specifiers a general understanding of the significant benefits and impacts of insulation products over their whole life cycle and help to identify opportunities for improvements to their environmental performance.

It is part of a series that provides comparable information on cladding, floor finishes, windows, metals, timber, masonry and concrete to assess the environmental impact of specific construction materials.

 

Glossary

1 Introduction

Sector overview (Mineral wool insulation. Other mineral-based insulation. Non-renewable organic-based insulation. Renewable organic plant/animal-derived insulation)

Historical and geographical changes (Use of insulation. Ozone-depleting blowing agents – CFCs and HCFCs. HFC blowing agents)

Recycled content

2 Life cycle assessment, environmental profiles and The Green Guide

Explanation of how the updated Environmental Profiles methodology has been applied to insulation (Treatment of recycling and secondary inputs. Treatment of renewable inputs. End-of-life issues for insulation)

3 Operational impacts and their relevance

4 Links to BREEAM and the Code for Sustainable Homes/Ecohomes

The GWP of insulation blowing agents

5 Assessing insulation within The Green Guide

Insulation as a stand-alone element (The functional unit used for comparative analysis of insulation as an element)

How insulation is used in other Green Guide elements

6 Key impacts and opportunities for the sector

Key impacts

Key opportunities

Where more data are required

7 Conclusions

8 References

  A4 20pp