Efficient carbon control to reduce living costs and greenhouse gas emissions with Termex Cellulose insulation
Termex-Eriste Oy manufactures climate-friendly blowing thermal insulation, Termex Cellulose, from recycled news print. Termex has been granted an RTS EPD Environmental Product Declaration, according to which its production produces very few greenhouse gas emissions and consumes almost no non-renewable natural resources. As a wood-based thermal insulation material, Termex also acts as a carbon storage, which means the carbon it binds is taken away from the atmosphere for the building’s lifetime and will not contribute to global warming. This carbon handprint separates it from many other thermal insulators when looking at climate efficiency.
– Termex is one of the best blowing insulations in terms of its thermal insulation and airtightness, so we can talk about effective carbon management during the entire life cycle, from raw material acquisition to demolition and reuse, CEO Markus Rautiainen states.
̶ Finland’s 2035 carbon neutrality goal is very ambitious, and the existing building stock plays an important role in it. There are 1.1 million single-family houses and 415,000 terraced apartments in Finland. The majority of these do not have flat roof thermal insulation in line with modern views on energy-efficient building. It was only in the 2010s that the building energy efficiency directive also steered the thermal insulation of the attic in the right direction. Today, the minimum is 400–500 mm of blown-in insulation, Rautiainen explains.
̶ Half of our building stock has a so-called open, ventilated loft attic, in which it is easy to install additional blown-in insulation. Here lies a huge energy-saving potential, which not only saves on energy and climate costs, but also on the sizing of the electricity network. Oil heating systems are being rapidly renovated into geothermal heating, which is indirect electric heating, and which increases the load on the main grid in severely cold temperatures. By improving the thermal insulation of the attic, the power necessary for the heat pumps will be reduced, and the load on the grid will be lower. Geothermal investment costs and emissions also decrease when the need for peak power decreases. According to our calculations, depending on the building, the need for power can be reduced by up to 10%, Rautiainen states. He continues – When this is combined with our rapidly electrifying society, such as with electric cars, additional insulation should be installed in attics as quickly as possible. As an energy renovation, additional insulation of the attic is often the low-hanging, easy-to-pick fruit. The investment costs are very affordable compared to the savings potential, and the work is fast. Often, the additional insulation of the loft attic with Termex pays for itself as an investment in less than 5 years. The carbon payback period, which is the period in which the CO2 emissions from the product’s life cycle are compensated by its CO2 energy savings, is often less than a year, Rautiainen summarises.
– Termex-Eriste Oy has accepted the climate challenge posed by the existing building stock and, under its subsidiary, has developed the Vintit Kuntoon concept of an expert, who now performs free attic inspections of detached houses and housing cooperatives. There is a lot of interest because additional attic insulation has positive effects not only on savings but also on living comfort. Good thermal insulation of the attic prevents overheating of the rooms in the summer heat, reduces drafts, and prevents noise caused by traffic and rain. A single contract brings with it a plethora of benefits, so it pays to be active now and order a free inspection. Heat your home, not the climate, Rautiainen advises.
Termex’s 5-point carbon management programme:
- Recycled product; no trees are cut down for its manufacture
- Low energy intensity; manufacturing requires only a small amount of EkoEnergy
- Carbon handprint; the wood-based product has a carbon store
- Excellent thermal insulation with low thermal conductivity and high airflow resistance
- Reuse; the product can be efficiently recycled at the end of its life cycle