Inicio > News > “Where I live, it’s never too cold so I don’t need to insulate my home.” – REALLY??

“Where I live, it’s never too cold so I don’t need to insulate my home.” – REALLY??

There are many false beliefs about insulation in summer and warmer countries. Insulation is key to maintain the temperature of your home throughout the year. A properly insulated home is one of the best contributions to reducing the carbon footprint and combating the effects of climate change.

“Where I live, it’s never too cold so I don’t need to insulate my home.” – REALLY??

Did you know that insulation isn’t about keeping you warm only? That installing glass mineral wool insulation in your home or business can be just as useful in summer as in winter? People think insulation is all about keeping heat inside but really, it’s about temperature control: warm in winter, cool in summer. In fact, the idea that living in a warm country or climate means no need to worry about insulation is a myth…

People often associate insulation with staying warm and imagine that if they live in a warm climate, insulation isn’t necessary. But insulation is an all-year-round investment. It stops the fluctuation in temperature of your home from being subject to the outside weather. In other words, insulation protects against overheating in summer just as effectively as it does against freezing in winter.

Installing insulation in the building is just as useful in summer as it is in winter

When people talk about insulation, they often speak as if the insulation itself is some kind of heat source. But insulation is simply a barrier to heat transfer, as indicated by its R-value, a measure of how well a material reduces the transfer of heat. Installed between two environments (e.g. external walls, meaning, the inside of your house and the outside) insulation prevents the heat transfer between them. When the weather is cold and the inside of the house is warm, insulation helps to retain the heat inside, thus reducing the energy costs of staying warm by limiting heat losses and therefore, a decrease in the heating energy bill. But the opposite also applies. When the weather is hot and inside the house is chilled (either through air-conditioning or construction techniques) insulation stops the heat coming in; again, reducing the cost of maintaining that nice, cool air temperature, and again, in this case, limiting cool losses and increase in the air conditioning energy bill. This means different insulation approaches depending on the different climates.

In a cold climate, it seems obvious the need for insulation because homes require heating, especially in the winter months. To maximize energy use, a cold climate home needs insulation in all the elements in contact with the exterior. Hot climates are different – after all, excessive heat is rarely as uncomfortable or dangerous as excessive cold – but still benefit from insulation, particularly in the roof and external walls. In many countries with a warmer climate, energy bills are higher in the summer because air-conditioning your home is more expensive than heating it. Installing mineral wool insulation offers protection against both heat and cold and savings on your energy usage, especially if you currently use air-conditioning in summer to regulate the temperature.

 

URSA - Energy consumption reduction

But, above all, there is the environmental factor. Installing insulation helps to reduce the operational carbon of the building by reducing energy consumption. Therefore, an insulated building's carbon footprint will be lower than a non-insulated building.

On a large scale, this solution can reduce occupant energy consumption by up to 90%1, which is a significant contribution to "green" targets such as the EU 2050 goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions.

Whether you spend more time and money heating your home or cooling it, think of insulation as a solution to maintain your home’s temperature throughout the year; a measure that, once installed, does not cost you anything further. Also, whatever part of the world you live in, whatever the climate, insulation has year-round benefits in respect of noise reduction and acoustic comfort, also acting as a fire-resistant barrier. Above all, it is a sustainable solution in line with the goal of a climate-neutral economy.

Our solutions support the planet, the economy, and society

At URSA, we believe the ideal solution – for both summer and winter, whatever your climate is mineral wool insulation with its thermal resistance, high acoustic insulation, better indoor air quality, and fire resistance. Furthermore, the energy savings during the use phase of URSA insulating materials are so significant that they easily exceed the energy required for their production, generating a net positive impact.

We fully support Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) analysis to assess the environmental impact of products and processes. This technique provides information that allows us to be more aware and therefore reduce the effects that our solutions have on the environment throughout their life cycle. Reducing our CO2 emissions and carbon footprint is an essential measure and again, a properly insulated home is one of the best individual contributions to fighting the effects of climate change.

1 Passivhaus standard: Applying insulation heat losses will decrease by a factor of 10; the annual costs for the energy loss through the external wall are reduced to less than 64 €/year.

Carmen Fernández
Press contact

Carmen Fernández

Communication manager URSA Insulation & Iberia

carmen.fernandez@etexgroup.com
Inicio > News > “Where I live, it’s never too cold so I don’t need to insulate my home.” – REALLY??