1. Residential Insulation A Comparative Assessment http://coolexcooling.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/photos-ceiling-insulation.jpg http://rocketry.wordpress.com/2008/06/ David LeungLinda Dix-CooperSandy DoAnthony Hoac

2. Introduction Insulation is used to control temperature and sound in buildings Three main types of insulation: cellulose fiberglass spray foam All insulation products installed in U.S. buildings save consumers: 12 quadrillion Btu annually 42 % of energy that would have been consumed with no insulation in place.

3. Insulation Types http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/15/home-green-home-insulation-materials/?scp=1&sq=insulation&st=cse

4. Quick Facts Grown since the Victorian age Developed to insulate floors, walls, and roofs Made mandatory during war Properly insulated  can save homeowner http://www1.eere.energy.gov/consumer/tips/insulation_sealing.html

5. R-Value Ratio of the temperature difference and the heat flux in m 2 *K/W In theory, doubling the thickness of the insulation doubles the R value, but not always the case Determine insulation’s heat loss retardation under test conditions Aerogel with very high R-30

6. R Value Calculator (Berkeley) Wood-Framed Building Insulation LocationR-Value * Notes Attic38.0- Cathedral ceiling30.0- Wall cavity13.0- OVE wall cavity21.0 This recommendation assumes that a 2x6 wall can be built for the same cost as a 2x4 wall Concrete or masonry wall 11.7 Preferred position of insulation on a massive wall is on the exterior side. Floor13.0 Over unheated, uninsulated space. Slab edge4.0 Extend the insulation 2 feet below ground level. Crawl space wall13.0 Crawl space walls are only insulated if the crawl space is unvented and the floor above the crawl space is uninsulated. Basement wall exterior5.0 Exterior insulation on a below-grade wall is used only if you choose not to insulate the interior side of your basement wall. http://www.ornl.gov/~roofs/Zip/tmp/results3849.html

7. Our Comparison Criteria Cost - per square foot in Berkeley R Value - thermal efficiency Noise - barrier efficiency Health – short and long term effects Environmental impacts Flammability Ease of installation Resilience – longevity of life w/ water damage

8. Fiberglass: Batt/Roll Two types: Batts or Rolls Easy Installation – Do it yourself Small strands of glass Most common insulation type http://www.rd.com/images/tfhimport/2003/20031001_Using_Tools_page002img001 _size2.jpg

9. R-Value2.9-3.8 m 2 -K/W per inch Sound Transmission Coefficient (STC) 40 (Bare Wall is 36) Cost (2009)$0.27 per ft 2 (3.5 inch thickness, R13) Fiberglass

10. Cellulose 15% of Insulation Market Heavily Recycled (85%), made of old newspapers, telephone directories, borates, and ammonium sulfate Lowest embodied energy based on LCA studied of any insulation (3.3 MJ/kg) http://www.homedepot.com/Building-Materials-Insulation-Blow-in/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1xglZbedg/R-100318635/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

11. Cellulose http://mdinsulation.net/installing-cellulose-blow-in-insulation.jpg Dry blow-in or moist installation Can be rented for use at home or subcontracted Installation

12. Flamability http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/15/home-green-home-insulation-materials/?scp=1&sq=insulation&st=cse

13. Cellulose R-Value3.6-4 m 2 -K/W per inch Sound Transmission Coefficient (STC) 44 (Bare Wall is 36) Cost (2009)$0.84 per ft 2 (3.5 inch thickness, R13)

14. Polyurethane Spray Foam Types: – Open cell: 0.4-0.75lb/cu ft – Closed cell: 1.7-2 lb/cu ft – Roofing: 2.8-3.0 lb/cu ft Forms to walls, floors, and roofs as a tight seal Strong Requires skilled installer http://www.advanced-insulation.net/faq

15. R-Value6.0-7.0 m 2 -K/W per inch Sound Transmission Coefficient (STC) 37 Cost (2009)$1.25-$2.25 per ft 2 (2.2 inch thickness, R13) Polyurethane Spray Foam http://www.spraytechfoaminsulation.com/sprayfoa m.html

16. Insulation residential energy use $$$ saved can be used for healthcare Warm homes improve health by : moisture mold growth (asthma) immune system defense Proper insulation improves ambient air quality by: PM2.5 emissions from energy production plants leading to: 60 fewer fatalities 2000 fewer asthma attacks 30,000 fewer restricted activity days/10 yrs (Reference: Niskioka, 2002) Environmental Health Effects of Insulation:

17. Cellulose Insulation Alveolar proteinosis (McDonald, 2000) Mold & Pathogen growth (Godish, 2006) Dust & Mold ‘s asthma attacks & allergic reactions 15% borate (reprodtoxin) or ammonium sulfate flame retardants by mass (Morgan, 2004) Fiberglass Insulation Induces dermatitis (Farkas, 1983; Lee, 1992; Verbeck, ‘91) Spray Foam Insulation No human studies yet (ReprodToxin) Kidney tumors in rats & benign testicular tumors in mice (Turnbull, 1994) Made of isocyanates, ether, polyol, and flame retardants Immune response and Dermatitis (Baur, 2009) Releases fluorocarbons (CFCs) in landfills (Kjeldsen, 2003) Ozone depletion Why? Knowledge Gaps: What are the production and disposal practices? How energy intensive are these processes and how do they compare?

18. Severity of Acute health effects: Fiberglass Cellulose Spray Foam Severity of Long-term health effects: Spray foam Cellulose Fiberglass > = Environmental Health Ranking? > >

19. Our Comparison Criteria Cost - per sq. ft in Berkeley Thermal – R value Noise - barrier efficiency Health – short and long term effects Environmental impacts Flammability Ease of installation Resilience – longevity of life w/ water damage

20. Our Star Rating

21. Conclusions & Future Directions 1. Insulations are fairly equal in performance when you ignore pricing. 2. Focus on installing it properly and selecting the right type for the job to ensure effective performance. 3. We need more Life Cycle Assessments on the environmental impacts. 4. The benefits that warmth bring outweigh any of the underlying risks.

22. References: Farkas, J. (1983). "Fibreglass dermatitis in employees of a project-office in a new building." Contact Dermatitis 9(1): 79. Godish, T. J. and D. R. Godish (2006). "Mold infestation of wet spray-applied cellulose insulation." J Air Waste Manag Assoc 56(1): 90-5. Kjeldsen, P. and C. Scheutz (2003). "Short- and long-term releases of fluorocarbons from disposal of polyurethane foam waste." Environ Sci Technol 37(21): 5071-9. Lee, T. Y. and T. H. Lam (1992). "Occupational fibreglass dermatitis in Hong Kong." Contact Dermatitis 27(5): 341-3. McDonald, J. W., F. Alvarez, et al. (2000). "Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis in association with household exposure to fibrous insulation material." Chest 117(6): 1813-7. Morgan, D. L., Y. F. Su, et al. (2004). "Chemical and physical characteristics of cellulose insulation particulates, and evaluation of potential acute pulmonary toxicity." Am J Ind Med 46(6): 554-69. Nishioka, Y., J. I. Levy, et al. (2002). "Integrating risk assessment and life cycle assessment: a case study of insulation." Risk Anal 22(5): 1003-17. Turnbull, D., R. J. Machado, et al. (1994). "Safety assessment of HCFC-141b: use as a blowing agent for insulation in building construction and refrigeration." Regul Toxicol Pharmacol 19(3): 282-96.