Insulation thickness
In the industry there are three grades of insulation based primarily on the thickness of the insulation: the thicker the insulation is, the less heat is lost.
The first grade of insulation, which is often about 30-50 mm, is focussed on the prevention of injuries to people operating or working nearby the installations. The second grade of insulation, an economical thickness which is often above 100 mm, is focussed on significant heat loss reduction and thus achieving a better return on investment. The third grade of insulation, an ecological thickness which is usually about 40% thicker than the economical thickness, is focussed on reducing heat loss to almost nothing and protecting the environment.
Personal protection and economical and ecological thickness
Thicker insulation requires a higher investment and the additional heat loss savings get smaller as the thickness is increased. Therefore the economic payback period for ecological thicknesses is not as short as in the case of economical thickness or thickness focussed on the protection of people. However, over the lifetime of the insulation it is worthwhile to invest in ecological thickness as an enormous amount of CO2 production is prevented. Keeping in mind that 28% of the world’s energy is used by industry, it becomes clear that if the insulation of industry is not included in the plans to reduce energy consumption, the chances of achieving the 2020 CO2 reduction goals are slim.
