The energy and greenhouse gases saved by installing insulation into the 2.7 million uninsulated homes, as
proposed by the Federal Government's Energy Efficient Homes Package, far outweighs the energy used in the
production of the insulation, according to the Insulation Council of Australia and New Zealand (ICANZ).
D'Arcy, ICANZ CEO said, "When ceiling insulation is correctly installed into a typical home, the energy
and greenhouse gas emissions produced during its manufacture would be recovered within around four or five
weeks.
"We estimate that when R3.5 glasswool insulation batts are installed into a typical existing home with a
remaining lifespan of say 40 years, it will save over 340 times the energy that was used to make them.
"The building codes for new homes, which have an average life expectancy of 70 to 80 years, already
have provisions for minimum energy performance that include insulation.
"We are a little surprised that a question regarding the relative performance of insulation in saving energy
compared to energy required to make it has been raised in the media, Parliament, and during the Senate
inquiry, as the answer is so unequivocally in favour of insulation," D'Arcy said.
"For quite some time now both here and overseas residential building insulation has been well recognised
as the most immediate, sustainable and cost effect measure in addressing burgeoning residential energy
demand and greenhouse gas emissions.
