Colombia. A research project to determine the importance of the use of thermal insulation in the structures (walls and ceilings) of low buildings, specifically in hot and humid climates such as the Caribbean coast of Colombia, was carried out by researchers from the Universidad del Norte and FiberGlass Isover.
The results, recently presented in Barranquilla, showed energy savings of up to 77% for single-story buildings and isolated in walls and ceiling, using air conditioning, and allowed the interior of the spaces in which the Frescasa product was tested to maintain a stable temperature of 24 ° C.
This type of construction solutions can be used in different types of buildings and even in social housing projects.
The objective of the project was to determine the heat gain that is transferred to a room in light construction, without thermal insulation and with thermal insulation in the ceiling and walls.
It had four measurement moments, during the months of April, March, May and June 2021, which allowed data to be collected in different climatic seasons in Barranquilla. It had the participation of experts such as Antonio Olmos and Antonio Bula, Pierre-Alain Gillet (teachers U del Norte and staff of FiberGlass-Saint Gobain), who developed 3 prototypes of constructions that simulate a house of 2.5 m2 x 2.5 m2, where the Frescasa Eco (glass mineral wool) was tested, which in addition to thermal insulation, It can act as a sound insulator, with the following characteristics:
• Building A- construction without insulation and with air conditioning at 24 degrees Celsius constant
• Building B- construction with insulation (Frescasa Eco) on the roof and with air conditioning at 24 degrees Celsius constant
• Building C – construction with insulation in ceilings and walls (Frescasa Eco) and with air conditioning at 24 degrees Celsius constant
An air conditioning system was installed for each of the modules in order to control their internal temperature, which allows a better comparison of the results. Subsequently, the air conditioning systems for each module were installed and the data capture process was formally initiated. About 52,560 measurements were taken, one every 10 minutes, 7 days a week. These were some of the main results:
1. Buildings for housing in low latitudes and in hot and humid climates, must have insulating elements such as mineral glass wool on their roofs, which reduce the entry of heat into the construction.
2. The use of insulation in roofs and walls of the construction, allow to reduce by 77% the thermal gains in the building, generating a significant decrease in the energy consumption in the air conditioning systems.
3. The use of insulation in housing prototypes B and C reduced up to 32% ° C, the temperature inside the roof, i.e. the reduction of 11 ° C, and up to 4 ° C in the temperature of the interior wall.
"Working together with the academy has always been a priority for FiberGlass Isover, having undertaken this project with the Universidad del Norte has allowed us to know even more about the versatility and benefits in energy saving that our products have, we have been able to validate with total certainty that our materials improve the quality of life of people, providing adequate thermal environments, without the need to require high energy cost systems, in extreme weather conditions," said Andrés Beltrán, Marketing, Product and Digital Manager of FiberGlass Isover.
On the other hand, thermal and acoustic insulation become allies of environmental care, since in addition to providing well-being to those who inhabit the spaces, by allowing energy savings, they also contribute to emitting less CO2 into the atmosphere and in turn, help organizations their goals in terms of sustainability or carbon footprint.
For Antonio Olmos, Research Professor at the School of Architecture, Urbanism and Design of the Universidad del Norte, "it has been quite gratifying and enriching to work hand in hand with an international manufacturer of construction products with so much tradition and experience, since it has meant transversalizing diverse procedures and methodologies and from traditionally distant positions, which undoubtedly results in an invaluable benefit for the user and for the sector".
Benefits of glass wool insulators
• Very competitive price compared to the advantages it offers, being affordable for the entire population
• Saves energy, is able to keep spaces heated for a longer period of time, saving costs in heating and air conditioning.
• An insulator allows to provide 3 to 4 hours of freshness in homes exposed to high temperature conditions.
• It has good acoustic absorption, is absorbent, elastic and dissipating.
• It has no impact on its contact with water and remains unchanged against any filtration or condensation.
• Its handling is very simple, with EUCEB certificate that validates that the product used in the study, does not generate health risks, additionally it is not irritating or polluting, and its installation is simple.
