Comparative analysis of embodied carbon values of bio-based thermal insulation materials

A significant portion of global energy consumption (approximately 40%) is carried out by the construction sector. Approximately 85% of this energy is fossil fuel-based and causes high levels of carbon emissions. Approximately 50% of the energy consumed in the construction sector is used only for heating and cooling purposes; this shows how important insulation applications are in terms of energy and carbon savings. Research shows that up to 60% energy savings can be achieved with qualified thermal insulation solutions applied to the building. In this context, insulation applications with significant savings potential play a critical role in reducing and improving the damage caused by the sector in the fight against the climate crisis by reducing carbon emissions thanks to the energy savings they will provide. However, insulation applications carried out today are planned only by considering savings from usage energy. As a result of this situation, while carbon emissions from usage energy are reduced, the embedded carbon values that emerge during the production process of the material are ignored. Embedded carbon, which has a permanent effect on the total carbon footprint of the building and is not a changeable value, has a significant impact. Therefore, a comprehensive life cycle approach that includes the formation stages of all building components should be adopted in the fight against the climate crisis. In this direction, bio-based materials, which have gained importance again in the last few decades, are considered as safe, natural and sustainable alternatives for the environment and human health, with the potential to reduce global carbon emissions thanks to their carbon sequestration properties. Although the global use of these materials is currently limited, the advantages they offer in terms of carbon management are remarkable. In this study, the potential use of bio-based materials in the construction sector was investigated, and a field study was conducted in the context of embodied carbon emissions of thermal insulation materials. In the study, building shells with approximately the same thermal conductivity coefficient (U: W/m².K) were modelled; embodied carbon calculations were performed for bio-based and current thermal insulation materials (EPS, XPS, glass wool, stone wool). The findings revealed that bio-based materials have different rates of embodied carbon, and that materials with carbon sequestration properties store significant amounts of carbon within the building. In the calculations made on a Turkey scale, calculations were made according to 2022 data, and it was determined that the embodied carbon emissions originating from the "current thermal insulation materials (GYM)" used constituted 0.2% of the total greenhouse gas emissions for the same year. The fact that 2/1000 of all activities causing the greenhouse effect is made up of the embodied carbon of only four materials indicates a very high value, and this situation shows that GYM causes a high global impact. In the calculations where bio-based thermal insulation materials are used instead of GYMs for the same year, it was determined that the embodied carbon emissions from the material would decrease and a reduction of up to 6.36% could be achieved in national greenhouse gas emissions. As a result, this study revealed that bio-based thermal insulation materials have lower embodied carbon values compared to GYMs and offer more environmentally advantageous alternatives in terms of carbon management. In line with the sustainability goals of the construction sector, it has been revealed that the use of bio-based materials will make significant contributions to the fight against climate change.