Building insulation

This article's lead section may be too short to adequately summarize the key points. Please consider expanding the lead to provide an accessible overview of all important aspects of the article. (March 2021)

Part of a series on
Sustainable energy
Energy conservation Arcology Building insulation Cogeneration Eco hotel Efficient energy use Energy storage Environmental planning Environmental technology Fossil fuel phase-out Green building Green building and wood Heat pump List of low-energy building techniques Low-energy house Microgeneration Sustainable architecture Sustainable city Sustainable habitat Sustainable refurbishment Thermal energy storage Tropical green building Zero-energy building Zero heating building
Renewable energy Biofuel Sustainable Biogas Biomass Carbon-neutral fuel Geothermal Hydropower Hydroelectricity Marine energy Tidal Renewable energy transition Renewable heat Solar Wave Wind
Sustainable transport Green vehicle Electric vehicle Bicycle Solar vehicle Wind-powered vehicle Hybrid vehicle Human-electric Twike Plug-in Human-powered transport Helicopter Hydrofoil Land vehicle Bicycle Cycle rickshaw Kick scooter Quadracycle Tricycle Velomobile Roller skating Skateboarding Walking Watercraft Personal transporter Rail transport Tram Rapid transit Personal rapid transit
Category Renewable energy portal
v t e

Building insulation is material used in a building (specifically the building envelope) to reduce the flow of thermal energy. While the majority of insulation in buildings is for thermal purposes, the term also applies to acoustic insulation, fire insulation, and impact insulation (e.g. for vibrations caused by industrial applications). Often an insulation material will be chosen for its ability to perform several of these functions at once.

Since prehistoric times, humans have created thermal insulation with materials such as animal fur and plants. With the agricultural development, earth, stone, and cave shelters arose. In the 19th century, people started to produce insulated panels and other artificial materials. Now, insulation is divided into two main categories: bulk insulation and reflective insulation. Buildings typically use a combination.

Insulation is an important economic and environmental investment for buildings. By installing insulation, buildings use less energy for heating and cooling and occupants experience less thermal variability. Retrofitting buildings with further insulation is an important climate change mitigation tactic,^[1][2] especially when buildings are heated by oil, natural gas, or coal-based electricity. Local and national governments and utilities often have a mix of incentives and regulations to encourage insulation efforts on new and renovated buildings as part of efficiency programs in order to reduce grid energy use and its related environmental impacts and infrastructure costs.