Insulation: biobased products are gaining ground
Batirama.com 05/25/2020
Champions of the circular economy, biosourced insulators are developing rapidly. Professionals are seduced by their environmental relevance, their performance and guarantees.
Systematically considered in thermal improvement operations and in new construction, biosourced insulators are often chosen by players who are now more aware of their advantages, and implemented without apprehension by better trained companies.
Eco-responsibility, product lifespan, user health, installation comfort and safety... Increasingly sensitive to these criteria, many project owners, contractors and installation companies now place their trust in to these products, which respond to all thermal or acoustic constructive applications.
The raw materials come from industrial activities: wood waste (wood fiber and wool), recycled newspapers or cardboard (cellulose wadding), and fabric scraps (cotton wool).
They are also by-products of crops (hemp, wheat straw, flax, etc.) and livestock (sheep's wool). Some have recently appeared, such as panels made from Camargue rice husks, produced since the beginning of the year in Ain (FBT) or grassland panels, produced since last autumn (Gramitherm) .
Tests carried out with sunflower and maize
In added insulation, from the inside or the outside, rolls and more or less rigid panels are used. Bulk products are blown, insufflated or wet sprayed.
In distributed insulation, the monomurs are mounted in bales of straw, in molded blocks or in hemp concrete or wood, most often. Local resources such as rapeseed, sunflower or corn are also tested.
Complete biosourced solutions continue to develop in timber frame construction, using the prefabrication of systems integrating all the components of the wall. “We are also seeing more and more mixed solutions that respond either to technical constraints or to aesthetic choices specific to the project owner. In particular, metal or concrete/biosourced materials solutions”, underlines Olivier Joreau, president of the AICB*.
Reliable and certified products
For the most part manufactured industrially, in a strictly regulated framework, biosourced insulators have something to reassure specifiers.
Many benefit from certifications (Acermi, Keymark, etc.) attesting to their performance, and from technical opinions guaranteeing the quality of their implementation ("open doors" which make it possible to reduce the cost of work by giving access to aid from State).
Processed as close as possible to the sources of raw materials, sold directly or distributed via an efficient network, the products find all their interest insofar as they are implemented, here again, as close as possible to their place of production. Almost all businesses have an offer of biosourced materials, now stored in platforms and depots for easy access by craftsmen.
* the Association of biosourced construction manufacturers brings together the main manufacturers. 200,000 t/year of vegetable fibers or fibers from recycling, transformed in ten factories in France (152 million euros invested), i.e. around 21 million m2 laid in 2018.
Market: A rise in power on all fronts
Still far behind mineral wool and synthetic insulation, products made from plant or animal materials are no longer a niche market. “They account for around 8% of building insulation and their average growth, of nearly +15% per year, is greater than that of this market”, indicates Olivier Joreau. Between 2016 and 2018, sales increased by 44%. All materials are progressing: wood fiber and cellulose wadding continue to lead the way, but hemp and recycled cotton are taking an increasingly significant share: 21 million m2 of fiber insulation were installed in 2018. The number of players is stable after the consolidation of producers of cellulose wadding, hemp, flax and wood fiber in recent years. The bulk of the market is taken by the industrial sector, whose manufactured products reach many craftsmen. Market volumes are more modest for straw construction and bio-based concrete. Supply has been well established, whatever the raw materials, and production capacities are increasing. At the same time, non-industrial sectors are developing. That of straw, in particular, is organized to provide bundles with characteristics adapted to the needs of the building. Better recognized performanceProducts continue to progress: better thermal resistance, treatments with no impact on health, easier installation, etc. Acoustic performance and phase shifting are also highlighted, for summer comfort, improved indoor air quality. Hygrothermal energy is recognized by users and collective R&D projects are underway to demonstrate this additional performance brought to the building's thermal envelope. Favorable regulationsIf private individuals are the historical prescribers of biosourced products, in particular to renovate their homes, public procurement has been growing strongly lately, with reference sites that stimulate new real estate programs. The additional purchase cost is less and less of a barrier to their use. The RE 2020 applicable to the second half of 2021 should logically improve biosourced materials, taking into account carbon storage and their renewable nature, as well as their specific technical characteristics. “Let's hope that the RE 2020 will really enshrine the 'more environment and less carbon'. Plant fibers in particular are the only ones able to capture CO2 during photosynthesis to store biogenic carbon” concludes Olivier Joreau. The FBT factory has been transforming Camargue rice straw into panels since the beginning of 2020. Performing thermally and acoustically, biosourced insulation is also unbeatable in terms of installation comfort and environmental impact. © FBT |
Biosourced materials: a structured training offerThe specific implementation of certain biosourced insulators requires craftsmen to be trained. Hemp straw and concrete are subject to professional rules which require that their implementation be carried out by a trained person. In 2019, 8,000 professional straw construction rules were sold and 1,500 professionals took Pro-Paille training. All manufacturers train in their products (for example the National Hemp School of BCB Tradical). Local or national associations for the promotion of materials (such as Oïkos, CD2E), competitiveness clusters and certain specialized businesses (for example Eco Saint Habitat) also offer more or less targeted training. Addressed to all players in the construction industry, short sessions, such as that of the CSTB over one day, offer to scan the regulatory and normative context and the specificities of biosourced insulation, for an adequate prescription. Learn remotelyOnline training is growing; let's cite as an example the Biomooc "discover the bio-based building", is a free online course open to all developed by Karibati and Ville & Aménagement Durable. Or the Mooc Construction Chanvre produced by Mooc Bâtiment Durable, which provides a better understanding of the use of hemp in construction and renovation. Note: The portal for biosourced materials lists the training provided by various organizations (www.vegetal-e.com). |
The NF DTU 45-11 incorporates cellulose waddingThermal insulation processes for lost attic floors, by blowing loose mineral wool or loose cellulose wadding based on crushed newspapers are now subject to standard NF DTU 45.11, published on March 12, 2020. Cellulose wadding becomes a commonly used product, eligible for financial aid linked to the thermal renovation of buildings. While waiting for the application of this DTU, the CSTB has set up a Transition Technical Assessment (ATT) which allows players to continue to use the processes under good application conditions. Ecima** publishes “Ten good reasons to insulate your house with cellulose wadding”, which can be downloaded free of charge from ecima.net/livre-blanc © Isocell |
The expert interviewJean-Pierre Buisson: “short circuit and guaranteed French origin”How has the bio-based insulation market evolved over the past two years? The share of biosourced materials in building insulation remains around 8 to 10%, with stable sales growth, and Isonat is following this trend. Wood fibre, which represents 80 to 85% of the market, is benefiting greatly from increases in volumes. ITI is in the majority, but the share of ITE is increasing significantly, which explains the good health of wood fiber products, which treat both equally well. Moreover, among the biosourced, only wood fiber can meet the demand for sarking, which is growing in France. What are the prospects for Isonat? Within Saint-Gobain, we have the means to anticipate regulations. The group wishes to develop its biosourced products to go in the direction of RE 2020. Even without having yet precise elements on their evaluation in the calculations, biosourced insulators will be present. And we are well placed: 100% of French origin, our wood fibers come from a short circuit. The Mably factory, which recently had an additional production line, is supplied within a radius of 50 km. Two of our ranges have a technical opinion; these are the only ones on the market at the moment. This gives them the necessary insurability to access public contracts. In 2020, other products, probably under ATec, will complete these ranges. What areas of improvement do you prioritize? In recent months, our flagship product, the Flex 55 Plus, has won the lowest lambda on the market, an easier product cut, greater maneuverability and an Atec. Our ITE products have an increased mechanical resistance. Saint-Gobain Research is working to develop highly innovative products over the next few years. Everything is easier with such a development force. Switching from an empirical mode to a scientific approach is very comfortable! Combined with efficient logistics and sales forces, this offers tremendous prospects for our wood fibre. *founder and manager of Isonat, a French manufacturer of wood fiber insulation panels and cellulose wadding which joined Isover-Saint Gobain in 2016. |
Source: batirama.com/Emmanuelle Jeanson
