Elementary Waste Insulation Panels in Hot Arid Regions

Abstract

Majority of housing projects in hot arid regions have very poor insulation. Strategies against overheating in the summer and overcooling in the winter significantly increase the heat island effect due to poor building materials and low heat capacities. The research investigates whether locally available waste materials could be used to build reliable and replicable exterior retrofit insulation panels. The research focuses on the panels’ low thermal conductivity capabilities, cost-effectiveness, ease of construction, its buildability and acceptability by the locals and its capacity to fulfil a circular economy model. The methodology consists of a preliminary experiment where five chambers, including a control chamber, are built to test four types of insulation alongside a control room. The chambers are designed to resemble majority of buildings in hot arid regions and are tested for a week during the coldest and hottest periods of the year, five times a day. The results show that some materials are much more functional than others with the Styrofoam and Composite panels (cardboard along with Styrofoam) performing much better than polypropylene plastic and cardboard panels. The research suggests further development to these panels using a wider range of waste materials, or material subcategories, alongside incorporating new techniques, which would simplify the manufacturing process even further while kee** it cost-effective and would help direct the initiative toward practical realization. Furthermore, a deeper level of integration through larger groups of local laborers’ experience-based opinions would make the application of the retrofits onto the facades easier, while also providing agency to the end users and locals.