Insulation Information Jeremy Brown Collingwood School Floor Location: M128V

This project was inspired by two major worldwide problems – climate change and a collapsing economy. I decided to research ways to tackle both dilemmas with one answer, and I found out that insulation did just that.

The purpose of this project was to examine the capability of a number of materials from available construction market products in providing insulation. According to an article in New Scientist,“Simply adding extra insulation, in the loft, in cavity walls and around your hot water cylinder can reduce emissions by as much as a tenth.”

In another New Scientist, I learnt that, “You can cut heating-related emissions by 40 per cent or more by replacing an inefficient old-style boiler with a
condensing model, by improving house insulation, and by turning down the thermostat by 2°C in winter”

These statements indicate that simple things can save you a lot of money. Furthermore, in 2004, when research was performed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, it was discovered that approximately 8% of our greenhouse gas emissions are lost from residential and commercial buildings. These are greatly damaging to our climate; however, insulation would greatly decrease this number.

The experiment I carried out involved measuring the heat of water inside multiple boiling tubes wrapped with different insulating materials. I begin with boiling water, and test to see which material took longest to return to room temperature. The experiment confirmed my hypothesis, as the more effective variables should indeed save more money; this was established in my study. The experiment also confirmed my other prediction that the more effective insulations would take longest for the water to reach room temperature.

The insulations Thermafleece and Warmcel 500 were the best performing materials, each taking 155 minutes before the water inside reached room temperature. These were also the most natural insulations, and this shows that natural insulation is one of the best ways to go, in order to get optimum comfort and savings from your home.