The Right Insulation Thickness for Proper Building Insulation

We consume 35% of our energy in residential buildings. More than 70% of the energy consumed in residential buildings is for heating and cooling purposes.

With proper thermal insulation, it is possible to reduce heating and cooling expenses reflected in bills during both summer and winter months, and to achieve greater energy savings by using thicker thermal insulation boards in facade applications. During the hot summer months when we are scorched by heat, cooling the spaces we occupy is not easy. Typically, cooling a space is more difficult and costly than heating it. The correct solution to this is facade application. With correct facade application, correct thickness, correct material and proper installation, while encasing the building to retain warmth in winter, cooling control can be ensured in summer.

Turkey Now Progresses to the Second Phase in Facade Application

In our country, the benefits of facade application are now known, and the number of buildings without facade application decreases each day. Like European countries, we should now move to the second phase and discuss not just the benefits of facade application, but correct facade application and how we achieve maximum energy savings. In our country, the limit thickness values in TS 825 Building Thermal Insulation Rules Standard, which is included in the current regulations of the Turkish Standards Institute, are the minimum thermal insulation thickness values that should be applied in the relevant city. This tells us that thermal insulation applied below the specified thickness values will not provide significant benefit. However, it does not tell us what thickness of thermal insulation board we should use to achieve greater energy savings. Because thicker thermal insulation boards mean more energy savings. For this reason, in facade systems carried out by consumers, the thickest thermal insulation board that their budget allows should be used, which means gains both for us as individuals and for our country.

Twice as Thick Board, Twice the Energy Savings

In facade application, the product providing energy savings is the thermal insulation board. The thermal insulation board is at the heart of facade application. Board thickness increases the benefits obtained from the facade application. While thermal insulation is performed with boards averaging 11 cm thickness in Europe, in Turkey unfortunately it is still thought that 4-5 cm thickness is sufficient for thermal insulation. Yet when having facade application done, using thermal insulation boards twice as thick increases investment costs by only 20%, while doubling the amount of energy you save. Approximately 20% of facade application cost is Thermal Insulation Board, 30% is other components and 50% is application and site costs. Doubling (100%) the Thermal Insulation Board thickness means increasing facade application costs by only 20%, while doubling energy savings. Thicker thermal insulation boards at the heart of facade application is the most important factor affecting energy savings.

Our Goal is to Increase Thermal Insulation Board Thickness by at Least Twice

The importance of thicker facade application for energy savings can be taught through awareness projects with support from both the sector and the state. As Austrotherm Turkey, we launched a project called Thermal Insulation National Benefit. Through our project, we explain that thermal insulation boards are at the heart of facade application, and that we can provide more energy savings by increasing their thickness. Because thicker thermal insulation means lower electricity and natural gas bills for residents, less external dependence and lower energy imports for our country, and less waste and greater environmental friendliness for the environment. Within the scope of our Thermal Insulation, National Benefit project, our first sub-project is our Director of Roads and General Manager touring Turkey on a motorcycle to take the pulse of Turkey on energy savings and to draw attention to thermal insulation thickness. They conduct awareness-raising visits regarding insulation, distributing informative documents. The project is followed on the director of roads' social media accounts, and also receives online support through the change.org platform under the title Thermal Insulation National Benefit. On the other hand, in our "AUSTROtalk" online seminar activities, we conduct various seminars on topics such as Thicker Facade Application, Energy Performance Certificate and Facade Application Tips. In addition to technical information, with our Thermally Insulated Cat Houses of Turkey project, which has been ongoing with great interest for two years, we reach wider audiences and draw attention to the importance of facade application and thickness. We continue our efforts without interruption to increase such awareness projects.   Tolga Celayer General Manager Assistant Austrotherm Turkey