Sheep Wool as a Construction Material for Energy Efficiency Improvement

Energies

Azra Korjenic²  Sanela Klarić⁴  Almedina Hadžić¹  Sinan Korjenic³ 

[1] Department of Product Design, Academy of Fine Arts, University of Sarajevo, Obala Kulina Bana 7/II, 71000 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina; E-Mail:;Institute for Building Construction and Technology, Research Centre of Building Physics and Sound Protection, Vienna University of Technology, Karlsplatz 13/206-2, 1040 Vienna, Austria;Institute for Building Construction and Technology, Research Centre of Building Construction and Technology, Vienna University of Technology, Karlsplatz 13/206-4, 1040 Vienna, Austria; E-Mail:;Department of Architecture, International Burch University, Francuske revolucije bb, 71000 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina; E-Mail:

关键词: energy efficiency;    primary energy reduction;    CO₂ reduction;    natural and renewable building materials;    sheep wool;    hygrothermal simulation;    ecological balance method;   

DOI  :  10.3390/en8065765

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

The building sector is responsible for 40% of the current CO₂ emissions as well as energy consumption. Sustainability and energy efficiency of buildings are currently being evaluated, not only based on thermal insulation qualities and energy demands, but also based on primary energy demand, CO₂ reductions and the ecological properties of the materials used. Therefore, in order to make buildings as sustainable as possible, it is crucial to maximize the use of ecological materials. This study explores alternative usage of sheep wool as a construction material beyond its traditional application in the textile industry. Another goal of this research was to study the feasibility of replacement of commonly used thermal insulations with natural and renewable materials which have better environmental and primary energy values. Building physics, energy and environmental characteristics were evaluated and compared based on hygrothermal simulation and ecological balance methods. The observations demonstrate that sheep wool, compared with mineral wool and calcium silicate, provides comparable thermal insulation characteristics, and in some applications even reveals better performance.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2015 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.