IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/rensus/v80y2017icp421-429.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The impact of thermal insulation investments on sustainability in the construction sector

Author

Listed:
  • Adamczyk, Janusz
  • Dylewski, Robert

Abstract

Sustainable construction is the only way to ensure the implementation of the principles of sustainable development. The paper presents the importance of the thermal insulating investment of the building in three areas: economic, environmental and social. It shows the influence of the existence of the building on the environment, with a particular focus on the investment process involving thermal insulating of external vertical walls of the building. The paper proposes a methodology for assessing the environmental and economic benefits. The analyses for various combinations were performed, including the condition of the building before thermal insulation, type of construction material of the building, the heat source used, type of thermal insulation and climate zone, in which the building is located. The obtained results indicate that the thermal insulation investment is, for all examined variants, beneficial for ecological reasons and for almost all economic reasons. The highest values of economic benefits were obtained for the variant of the coldest climate, and the variant in which the building before thermal insulation has the worst thermal performance, the most expensive type of heat source (i.e. the biggest costs of obtaining 1kWh of thermal energy) and the least expensive material used for thermal insulation. The highest values of environmental benefits were obtained for the variant of the coldest climate, which is obvious, but also for the variant, in which the building before thermal insulation has the worst thermal insulation, the least environmentally friendly type of heat source and the most eco-friendly insulation material applied. The paper also articulates social benefits resulting from such an investment.

Suggested Citation

  • Adamczyk, Janusz & Dylewski, Robert, 2017. "The impact of thermal insulation investments on sustainability in the construction sector," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 421-429.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:rensus:v:80:y:2017:i:c:p:421-429
    DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2017.05.173
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364032117308031
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.rser.2017.05.173?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kanellakis, M. & Martinopoulos, G. & Zachariadis, T., 2013. "European energy policy—A review," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 1020-1030.
    2. Lin, Chiun-Sin & Liou, Fen-May & Huang, Chih-Pin, 2011. "Grey forecasting model for CO2 emissions: A Taiwan study," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 88(11), pages 3816-3820.
    3. Verde, Stefano F. & Pazienza, Maria Grazia, 2016. "Energy and climate hand-in-hand: Financing RES-E support with carbon revenues," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 234-244.
    4. Michelsen, Carl Christian & Madlener, Reinhard, 2016. "Switching from fossil fuel to renewables in residential heating systems: An empirical study of homeowners' decisions in Germany," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 95-105.
    5. Hasan, Afif, 1999. "Optimizing insulation thickness for buildings using life cycle cost," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 63(2), pages 115-124, June.
    6. Kaynakli, O., 2008. "A study on residential heating energy requirement and optimum insulation thickness," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 33(6), pages 1164-1172.
    7. Ozturk, Murat & Yuksel, Yunus Emre, 2016. "Energy structure of Turkey for sustainable development," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 1259-1272.
    8. World Commission on Environment and Development,, 1987. "Our Common Future," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780192820808, Decembrie.
    9. Chua, K.J. & Chou, S.K. & Yang, W.M. & Yan, J., 2013. "Achieving better energy-efficient air conditioning – A review of technologies and strategies," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 87-104.
    10. Schade, Jutta & Wallström, Peter & Olofsson, Thomas & Lagerqvist, Ove, 2013. "A comparative study of the design and construction process of energy efficient buildings in Germany and Sweden," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 28-37.
    11. Helm, Dieter, 2014. "The European framework for energy and climate policies," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 29-35.
    12. Duić, Neven & Guzović, Zvonimir & Kafarov, Vyatcheslav & Klemeš, Jiří Jaromír & Mathiessen, Brian vad & Yan, Jinyue, 2013. "Sustainable development of energy, water and environment systems," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 3-5.
    13. Hartikainen, Teemu & Lehtonen, Jorma & Mikkonen, Risto, 2004. "Reduction of greenhouse-gas emissions by utilization of superconductivity in electric-power generation," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 78(2), pages 151-158, June.
    14. Walter Radermacher, 1999. "Indicators, Green Accounting and Environment Statistics— Information Requirements for Sustainable Development," International Statistical Review, International Statistical Institute, vol. 67(3), pages 339-354, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Davide Del Curto & Valentina Cinieri, 2020. "Aerogel-Based Plasters and Energy Efficiency of Historic Buildings. Literature Review and Guidelines for Manufacturing Specimens Destined for Thermal Tests," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(22), pages 1-23, November.
    2. Janusz Adamczyk & Robert Dylewski, 2020. "Ecological and Economic Benefits of the “Medium” Level of the Building Thermo-Modernization: A Case Study in Poland," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(17), pages 1-14, September.
    3. Gonçalves, Márcio & Simões, Nuno & Serra, Catarina & Flores-Colen, Inês, 2020. "A review of the challenges posed by the use of vacuum panels in external insulation finishing systems," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 257(C).
    4. Dehwah, Ammar H.A. & Krarti, Moncef, 2021. "Cost-benefit analysis of retrofitting attic-integrated switchable insulation systems of existing US residential buildings," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 221(C).
    5. Avendaño-Vera, Constanza & Martinez-Soto, Aner & Marincioni, Valentina, 2020. "Determination of optimal thermal inertia of building materials for housing in different Chilean climate zones," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).
    6. Rosa Agliata & Alfonso Marino & Luigi Mollo & Paolo Pariso, 2020. "Historic Building Energy Audit and Retrofit Simulation with Hemp-Lime Plaster—A Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-15, June.
    7. Shilei Lu & Zichen Wang & Tianshuai Zhang, 2020. "Quantitative Analysis and Multi-Index Evaluation of the Green Building Envelope Performance in the Cold Area of China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-38, January.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Marian Zaharia & Aurelia Pătrașcu & Manuela Rodica Gogonea & Ana Tănăsescu & Constanța Popescu, 2017. "A Cluster Design on the Influence of Energy Taxation in Shaping the New EU-28 Economic Paradigm," Energies, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-21, February.
    2. Ozel, Meral, 2011. "Effect of wall orientation on the optimum insulation thickness by using a dynamic method," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 88(7), pages 2429-2435, July.
    3. Mircea (Mike) Bostan, 2021. "EU Electricity Policy (Im)balance: A Quantitative Analysis of Policy Priorities Since 1986," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 11(5), pages 298-309.
    4. Yu, Jinghua & Yang, Changzhi & Tian, Liwei & Liao, Dan, 2009. "A study on optimum insulation thicknesses of external walls in hot summer and cold winter zone of China," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 86(11), pages 2520-2529, November.
    5. Ozel, Meral, 2012. "The influence of exterior surface solar absorptivity on thermal characteristics and optimum insulation thickness," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 39(1), pages 347-355.
    6. Nematchoua, Modeste Kameni & Raminosoa, Chrysostôme R.R. & Mamiharijaona, Ramaroson & René, Tchinda & Orosa, José A. & Elvis, Watis & Meukam, Pierre, 2015. "Study of the economical and optimum thermal insulation thickness for buildings in a wet and hot tropical climate: Case of Cameroon," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 1192-1202.
    7. Ucar, Aynur & Balo, Figen, 2009. "Effect of fuel type on the optimum thickness of selected insulation materials for the four different climatic regions of Turkey," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 86(5), pages 730-736, May.
    8. Axaopoulos, Ioannis & Axaopoulos, Petros & Gelegenis, John, 2014. "Optimum insulation thickness for external walls on different orientations considering the speed and direction of the wind," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 117(C), pages 167-175.
    9. Omer Kaynakli, 2011. "Parametric Investigation of Optimum Thermal Insulation Thickness for External Walls," Energies, MDPI, vol. 4(6), pages 1-15, June.
    10. Küçüktopcu, Erdem & Cemek, Bilal, 2018. "A study on environmental impact of insulation thickness of poultry building walls," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 150(C), pages 583-590.
    11. Piotr Maśloch & Grzegorz Maśloch & Łukasz Kuźmiński & Henryk Wojtaszek & Ireneusz Miciuła, 2020. "Autonomous Energy Regions as a Proposed Choice of Selecting Selected EU Regions—Aspects of Their Creation and Management," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-27, December.
    12. Mahlia, T.M.I. & Iqbal, A., 2010. "Cost benefits analysis and emission reductions of optimum thickness and air gaps for selected insulation materials for building walls in Maldives," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 35(5), pages 2242-2250.
    13. Seck, Gondia Sokhna & Guerassimoff, Gilles & Maïzi, Nadia, 2013. "Heat recovery with heat pumps in non-energy intensive industry: A detailed bottom-up model analysis in the French food & drink industry," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 489-504.
    14. Cosmi, Carmelina & Dvarionenė, Jolanta & Marques, Isabel & Di Leo, Senatro & Gecevičius, Giedrius & Gurauskienė, Inga & Mendes, Gisela & Selada, Catarina, 2015. "A holistic approach to sustainable energy development at regional level: The RENERGY self-assessment methodology," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 693-707.
    15. Salem Nechi & Belaid Aouni & Zouhair Mrabet, 2020. "Managing sustainable development through goal programming model and satisfaction functions," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 293(2), pages 747-766, October.
    16. Al-Mansour, Fouad & Sucic, Boris & Pusnik, Matevz, 2014. "Challenges and prospects of electricity production from renewable energy sources in Slovenia," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 73-81.
    17. Özkan, Derya B. & Onan, Cenk, 2011. "Optimization of insulation thickness for different glazing areas in buildings for various climatic regions in Turkey," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 88(4), pages 1331-1342, April.
    18. CHEN, Helen S.Y., 2020. "Designing Sustainable Humanitarian Supply Chains," OSF Preprints m82ar, Center for Open Science.
    19. Denise Ravet, 2011. "Lean production: the link between supply chain and sustainable development in an international environment," Post-Print hal-00691666, HAL.
    20. Mara Del Baldo, 2012. "Corporate social responsibility and corporate governance in Italian SMEs: the experience of some “spirited businesses”," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 16(1), pages 1-36, February.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:rensus:v:80:y:2017:i:c:p:421-429. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/600126/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.