Enveloping Walls: Ceresana Analyzes the European Market for Insulation Materials

KONSTANZ, Germany - May 7, 2024 - PRLog -- Extremely thin and highly insulating, fireproof and light as a feather – are aerogels the insulating materials of the future? They are already available not only for space suits, electric vehicles and batteries, but also for house walls. The nanoporous high-tech materials are usually made from silicon dioxide, but they can also be obtained from biopolymers such as cellulose or lignin. However, the best insulating materials to date are often still too expensive, too energy-intensive and perhaps simply not well-known enough to seriously compete with conventional foams. The construction industry in Europe currently uses around 231 million cubic meters of insulating materials per year.

Wide selection of different insulation materials

Today, mineral wool (glass and stone wool) and foamed plastics, i.e. expanded polystyrene (EPS), extruded polystyrene (XPS), polyurethane (PUR), and polyisocyanurate (PIR), are mainly used for thermal insulation and soundproofing. Synthetic insulation materials made from plastics are produced from crude oil or natural gas and have to be treated with flame retardants, but they score points for durability, weather resistance, low weight and, so far, price. Bio-based insulation materials still only make up a small proportion of the total insulation market. However, alternative insulating materials made from renewable raw materials are becoming increasingly popular, for example sheep's wool, cork, hemp, flax, cellulose flakes, coconut or other fibers. Sustainable organic products can also improve the energy balance of buildings. They are compatible with bio-based paints and coatings, bio-adhesives and ecologically beneficial building materials.

Challenges for the construction industry

In many places, the renovation sector is developing more dynamically than new construction because new projects are being abandoned, downsized or postponed. There are major regional differences: In Ireland and Spain, residential construction is still suffering from the consequences of the real estate bubbles burst during the 2008 financial crisis. In Germany, the current federal government set a target of 400,000 new apartments per year – around 225,000 apartments are currently being built. The continuing trend towards teleworking and online shopping is reducing demand for office and retail properties; on the other hand, more and more warehouse and logistics buildings and data centers are needed. Planned investments in energy efficiency and energy saving give manufacturers and processors of insulation materials hope: The EU Commission wants to mobilize up to EUR 300 billion to make the European Union independent of crude oil and gas from Russia by 2030 and climate-neutral by 2050.

Further information: https://ceresana.com/en/produkt/insulation-material-marke...