CORP – Competence Center of Urban and Regional Planning
Doi
Abstract
In Germany, 30 % of CO2 emissions and 35 % of final energy consumption are due to the operation of
buildings.1 The building sector must therefore make an intensive contribution to the energy transition. In
addition to the requirement to operate every new heating system with 65 % renewable energies from January
2024, the energy-efficient refurbishment of existing buildings, for example by installing new windows or
upgrading thermal insulation, is to be massively promoted in order to reduce energy consumption and
emissions. The renovation of the building stock should contribute significantly to the EU's goal of climate
neutrality by 2050. In order to achieve a climate-neutral building stock, the operating energy and in
particular the non-renewable share of primary energy must be drastically reduced and the remaining energy
demand must be covered predominantly with renewable energy sources.2 A large part of the operating energy
of buildings is due to the heating or cooling systems in living spaces. Appropriate building insulation,
especially in existing buildings, can save energy at this point. Do we want to continue this energy upgrade of
our buildings with synthetic materials from finite resources, some of which have been proven to endanger
our health, or will we succeed in the biological insulation turnaround that would bring energy-efficient,
sustainable and healthy living spaces? With a view to the desired climate neutrality of the EU, is it not a
logical conclusion to refurbish the building stock with insulation materials that consume as little energy as
possible in their production, while causing virtually no emissions?
In answering these questions, it is important to consider the potential of biological insulation materials. What
raw materials are available? What are the manufacturing processes? How are the material properties and
durability of biological insulation materials to be assessed?
The paper examines biological insulation materials and their use for creating healthy living spaces in a
sustainable architecture. It focuses on the raw material base, which often consists of residues and by-
products, the construction-relevant properties and aspects of material health. Depending on the results of this
analysis, the aim is to define the use of biological insulation materials as part of a sustainable resource
management in the building sector, which can be understood as a Nature-Based Solution. According to the
definition of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) are
described as measures for the protection, sustainable management and restoration of natural and modified
ecosystems.3
The following explanations are intended to show that the replacement of synthetic insulation materials, some
of which contain substances that are harmful to health, with 100 % bio-based insulation materials can help to
conserve non-renewable resources and thus combat the scarcity of resources. The mostly very
environmentally damaging mining methods of non-renewable resources could be greatly reduced and, in this
way, ecosystems could be protected. In addition, the increased use of renewable resources could positively
address other challenges within the construction industry, such as the need to create healthy living spaces and
drastically reduce emissions from the production of building materials