Multicriteria comparative analysis on the effectiveness use of various materials for thermal insulation in Romanian residential buildings

Abstract

Today it can already erect buildings with low-energy and passive houses at reasonable prices. Nowadays is being discussed more often the issue of the energy performance of the buildings already built. Improving energy efficiency in existing buildings allows owners of buildings to keep energy costs under control in order to be less vulnerable in the event of future fluctuations of energy prices and, also, to protect the environment by assimilating some wastes as building material cycle. This paper carried out a multicriteria comparative analysis of the efficiency of the use of various materials in Romania for building thermal insulation. The materials selected for this research are polystyrene, glass fiber mineral wool, basaltic mineral wool, cellulose fibers, and natural wool. It was analyzed the thermal insulation behavior (for which it was calculated the heat insulation’s global coefficient), the reaction to fire, the manufacture (the mounting technology criterion), and, obviously the economic criterion (price analysis for square meters). The objective was not to give a radical conclusion, but rather to present the advantages and disadvantages of materials according to the requirement of each criterion.