Gone are the days of pink Corning fiberglass and spray foam fillers. Nowadays, advanced home insulation materials are replacing the outdated and inefficient products of yesteryear.
Aerogels, phase-change materials (PCMs), vacuum insulated panels (VIPs), high-performance windows, are revolutionizing the industry by improving upon the energy-efficiency concerns at the core of insulation installations. Let’s consider the key benefits of these advanced insulation materials below:
#1: Manifold Increases in R-Value
The R-Value of home insulation is the statistical measurement of how much temperature loss it allows to pass through it when installed in walls and building materials. Newer insulation materials, such as VIPs, feature a higher R-Value and function ten times better than their antiquated predecessors.
Aerogel is a silica gel infused with fabric that is lightweight and nearly three times better at insulating than traditional fiberglass. This insulation has become popular for insulating technology products, aerospace transportation, and other specialized applications.
And the applications are evolving every month as businesses switch over and commit to contracts. Aspen Aerogels is a pioneer in this field and has watched its revenue grow remarkably each quarter as production capabilities and orders multiply.
#2: Energy Audits
Newer insulation materials are installed with a holistic focus to maximize energy efficiency. Installers have found that older materials often leave gaps that lead to thermal bridging. Thermal bridging is essentially the transfer of heat through concrete, windows, floors, and other building materials that undermine any temperature stability and containment sought by the insulation.
Now installers are using thermal imaging and temperature sensors throughout the home to look for even subtle variations. Thermal bridging can ruin the air quality of a home because it often leads to condensation on materials that are affected. And this, in turn, leads to mold and mildew growth which can cause respiratory illness.
Thermal bridging can also introduce allergens, pollution, and contaminated outside air into the home through gaps. These gaps can also cause drafts and reduce the efficiency of ventilation systems. Sealing cracks and installing thermal breaks, materials with low thermal conductivity is a key mitigation strategy.
#3: Focus on Energy-Efficient Building Envelopes
The building envelope is sometimes referred to as the skin of the building. It includes the walls, roof, windows, and doors that separate the interior from the exterior property of the home. The envelope plays a pivotal role in maintaining air quality, temperature, and moisture control in the home.
When the building envelope is properly designed, the interior of the home reaches ideal comfort levels and benefits from reduced climate control costs and improved air quality. A high-quality building envelope can also reduce noise pollution from traffic, airports, and weather.
By using aerogel, and vacuum insulated panels, homeowner’s can reduce the thickness of insulation and obtain superior protection. When combined with high-performance windows, homeowners can substantially reduce energy costs and their carbon footprint. High-performance windows feature low-emissivity coatings, multiple glazing layers, and gas injections that encapsulate inert gases between window panes for optimal insulation.
Argon is six times denser than air, while krypton is twelve times denser. This helps the windows to maintain their transparency and clarity while reducing thermal conductivity. These gases may also be mixed with nitrogen, oxygen, or xenon to engineer the ideal density for the particular window design.