VIEWPOINT A HANDLE ON
WHEN PURCHASING INSULATION from builders’ merchants, the primary concern of contractors and installers has always been thermal performance. After all, the principal job of insulation is to reduce heat transfer. And while factors such as non-combustibility and acoustic performance have become increasingly important, changing regulations such as Part L in England, means the drive to improve building energy efficiency is not going to change any time soon. But when it comes to building sustainably, there’s another factor that should be factored into decision-making – embodied carbon.
What is embodied carbon?
The UK Green Building Council defines embodied carbon as the total greenhouse gas emissions (carbon) generated to produce a built asset. It includes the emissions from the extraction of materials, manufacturing, processing and transportation of every product and element used in that asset, as well as the construction process itself. This differs from operational carbon which is the greenhouse gas emissions from the energy used to run the building (heating, lighting, etc) as well as the energy used by its occupants.
Embodied carbon is going to become increasingly important in the selection of all types of building products, including insulation.
There’s no legislation governing levels of embodied carbon in construction yet, but it’s widely anticipated. The UK has binding net zero targets which will only be met if the built environment is decarbonised. The buildings we live in, and the materials used must become more sustainable.
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As a result, RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) and many construction clients have already set targets for reducing embodied carbon in buildings. RIBA’s targets in the 2030 Climate Challenge don’t just cover new builds, they also include major refurbishment projects, which may include extensions – the type of projects undertaken by many professional builders up and down the country. Builders rely on merchants to supply their materials – and in time, will also need to lean on their expertise for advice about how to meet the targets when they need to make product substitutions.
Embodied carbon is also part of the assessment criteria for sustainability credit schemes such as BREEAM and LEED. So, failing to understand how different insulation materials affect levels of embodied carbon could mean that merchants may miss out on being able to supply large and prestigious projects because they aren’t able to provide contractors with the accurate information about their product range.
What affects levels of embodied carbon? The raw materials used to make a product, as well as how it is made, packaged, and transported, all affect its carbon footprint. So, levels of embodied carbon are different for every single product, even those that perform the same function such as rigid boards and mineral wool insulation.
Rigid boards, for instance, are made using oil-based materials. Knauf Insulation’s rock mineral wool insulation is made from materials that come from naturally abundant sources and increasingly includes up to 50% recycled content from customer
EMBODIED CARBON Matt Neary, National Sales Manager, Knauf Insulation.
take-back schemes, own off- cuts or from slag, a waste product from blast furnaces. The proportion of recycled content in our glass mineral wool is higher still at up to 80%. Using recycled material helps to reduce the use of virgin materials (as well as the embodied carbon used in the extraction process). It also reduces the energy needed to melt the raw material, as well as helping to reduce waste to landfill.
The melting temperatures for rock and glass mineral wool are also different which affects the amount and type of energy used in production.
Embodied carbon is also reduced through products manufactured using ECOSE® Technology, Knauf Insulation’s unique bio-based binder that contains no added formaldehyde or phenol. It is made from natural raw materials that are rapidly renewable and is 70% less energy-intensive to manufacture than traditional binders. Then there’s our advanced compression packaging, which allows us to compress some of our glass mineral wool insulation up to a tenth of its original size. This means there’s more product per pack or pallet, so less packaging is used. There’s also
more product per truck which reduces transport emissions because there are fewer vehicles on the road. It also has the added benefit for builders’ merchants and their customers that fewer deliveries are needed and there’s less handling and storage of the products too.
In comparison, rigid boards cannot be compressed because it would damage the insulation.
How do you check levels of embodied carbon?
The best way to check a product’s carbon footprint is through the manufacturer’s Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), which should comply with European Standard EN 15804. Remember that the amount of insulation required to achieve your U-value may differ depending on which product you choose. So, always consider the application to ensure you’re comparing EPD information ‘like for like’.
Ultimately, as we get closer to the net zero deadline, merchants will increasingly be asked about product sustainability.
Knauf Insulation produces EPDs for all its products, which can be downloaded from
www.knaufinsulation.co.uk BMJ
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net September 2023
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