Low-impact thermal insulation materials for sustainable retrofitting: potentialities and barriers from a literature review
Di Tiziana Susca, Lia Marchi, Jacopo Gaspari, Ernesto Antonini, Miriam Benedetti | 27 Giugno 2025Si trova in Articoli scientifici
IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, Volume 1402, International Conference on Challenges for the Next Generation Built Environment 09/05/2024 – 10/05/2024 Bologna, Italy
Tiziana Susca et al 2024 IOP Conf. Ser.: Earth Environ. Sci. 1402 012032 DOI 10.1088/1755-1315/1402/1/012032
The present study provides both an updated overview of the most recent studies about low environmental impact materials for building retrofitting and meta-analyses of the most important features, such as the thermal conductivity, allowing to evaluate their insulation potential against the diffused and recurrent conventional competitors. Specifically, 466 case studies about materials derived by co-production, wastes of other products and recycled ones have been selected and their thermal performances have been analysed. The materials have been clustered into homogeneous classes: lose materials and foams; structural materials; panels; finishing materials. The results show that some low environmental impact materials are characterized by thermal performances which can position them as materials able to contribute to building decarbonization, but little information can be found about other characteristics which can be crucial when the built environment is considered, such as durability, fire resistance, costs, and load resistance. Yet, these latter aspects may be investigated further when the material is considered to enter the prototyping phase whether in the academic or market context.
The present study provides a base for discussion about the use of more environmentally friendly thermal insulation materials which in the coming years might represent a valid option for sustainable building renovation.