Faktorer som påverkar möjligheterna att använda träfiberisolering

Sammanfattning: The global climate situation today is strained, leading to both the need and the interest for the use of non-polluting materials to increase in the building sector. In Sweden, this sector accounts for about 18% of the country’s total domestic emissions of greenhouse gases, of which 55% occurs from heat losses in buildings. The need for increasing energy efficiency and using well-insulating and environmentally friendly materials can therefore be considered necessary. Bio-based materials such as wood fiber insulation are becoming increasingly more available on the market. These materials have an environmental advantage compared to mineral wool but are still being used on a smaller scale. The purpose of this study is to analyze and examine technical differences and other reasons why wood fiber insulation is being used to a lesser extent compared to mineral wool. Both a literature and an interview study were conducted to identify these reasons. The results showed differences in thermal conductivity and fire resistance between wood fiber insulation and mineral wool. Both types of mineral wools performed better in both categories. Several other factors besides technical differences were discovered to affect the use of wood fiber insulation. Respondents described the building sector as conservative, and slow in the process of implementing new materials. Concerns were raised about performance regarding fire and the durability of the wood fiber insulation over time. Price, low or non-existing interest amongst customers were two other factors highlighted in the interview study. All respondents viewed wood fiber insulation as an untested material and expressed a need for better documentation and guidelines to feel safe using or recommending the product. It was found in this study that the awareness and knowledge about the material amongst the interviewers was quite diverse. This may be due to low interest, low demand, or lack of marketing regarding wood fiber insulation.