EECA commissioned this study in 2005 to investigate “what regulatory interventions and processes are appropriate for insulation materials and products, covering both cylinder wraps and products used for building insulation”.  It followed preliminary studies suggesting that the present situation was not satisfactory, and that problems were experienced in the course of EECA’s programmes to fund the installation of insulation.  These problems covered all the stages from manufacture to performance after installation. 

The research was designed to examine the issues and barriers surrounding improved performance of insulation products, leading to recommendations for an optimum regulatory strategy for these products to achieve improved energy efficiency in the residential sector. 

Insulation is basic to thermal efficiency in almost any application.  Australia and New Zealand seem to be afflicted by the widespread belief that insulation is an unnecessary imposition, or at least unimportant.  Most of our homes are wooden with thin envelopes, with insulation being rare until its installation was made compulsory.  Any insulation standard at all only came into force in 1978, and then only for new dwellings.  This left an enormous stock, some 700,000, of older uninsulated or poorly insulated houses.  Since then programmes have assisted or persuaded owners of around half these houses to install at least ceiling insulation.  Retrofitting of insulation to walls and floors remains unusual. 

Insulation is not an end in itself.  Its function is to assist the occupants of a building to improve their health and comfort more effectively while using less energy than is possible without insulation.  In principle, the quantity of insulation should be set at the point where the cost of any further addition to insulation would outweigh the benefits gained in terms of increased comfort and health benefits, plus any reductions in the cost of heating. 

It has been usual to do the calculations on this in terms of reduced heating costs, since comfort and health benefits are hard to value.  However the general belief has been that improved insulation results in little reductions in energy use, with the occupants taking the benefit in comfort improvements.  Recent studies have rather challenged that belief, thereby altering the manner in which the subject of value of insulation should be approached.  These studies, and their implications, were considered as part of the study.

The research also evaluated the many different materials used as bulk insulation, for both insulating buildings and for use in cylinder wraps.  These materials, and the numerous issues relating to them, were examined for each stage in production and installation, and the requirements for improving processes and results were identified.  Particular attention was paid to the two prime candidate methods for improving the situation: enhanced inspection and labelling, including an assessment of the economics of proceeding with them.

Conclusions from the research included:

1. New Zealanders are not yet getting good value from their investment in insulation since they are not putting enough heat into their houses to gain a the benefits available;
   

2. The insulation industry has acquired a reputation as an industry where malpractices are commonplace;
   

3. The test standard for insulation needs to include stability under the influence of moisture.  There are no established criteria or procedure for this as yet, so investigation will be required;
   

4. The labelling of bulk insulation products needs to include a mandatory statement of the net weight of the contents of each package.  This weight should be included in a label that meets the content, testing and presentation requirements of AS/NZS 4859.1;
   

5. A single dispassionate source of information is needed that provides easily understood information about the properties of and hazards associated with the various insulation materials;
   

6. Building inspectors need to undertake more thorough inspections.  Inspection specifications need to require that inspectors:
   

7. examine ceiling cavities to ensure that insulation has been installed over all the ceiling;
   

8. examine walls after insulation has been installed but before linings are in place; and
   

9. check, before concrete is poured, that insulation has been placed under concrete floors.
   

10. A protocol is needed for the collection of as-installed loose fill type insulation products for performance testing;
    

11. Consideration should be given to banning the use of macerated paper in walls, and all types of unstabilised loose fill in the walls of new construction;
    

12. Loose fill materials installed into open spaces such as lofts should be required to be covered with a material that will prevent the material being moved about by draughts; and
    

13. mandatory labelling requirements, and other regulation, will not be effective in improving the uptake and successful installation of cylinder wraps.