INSULATION
Net zero insulation?
Eric Quarmby and Gareth Griffiths
Gareth Griffiths
The analysis and calculation of the contribution to Global Warming Potential( GWP) of commonly used building materials is complex and developing. This article examines the use of natural fibre and its recycled derivatives to achieve net zero in buildings.
Why it matters
This is important to property developers, including those involved in the multi-unit housing development schemes. Such schemes are subject to the provisions of SANS10400-XA: 2021, which defines Energy Usage in Buildings and as part of the broader SANS10400(“ National Building Regulations”) is underpinned by the stillin-force National Building Regulations and Standards Act( Act 103 of 1977).
It is also important to architects, designers, engineers and their clients that many new developments, refurbishments or adaptive reuse projects are now requiring Green Star compliance, and that one of these is the Net Zero / Net Positive certification programme of the Green Building Council of SA – GBCSA.( https:// www. gbcsa. org. za / net-zero /).
What is a net-zero project?
A net zero building is a highly energy-efficient structure that produces as much renewable energy on-site as it needs to operate over the course of a year. These buildings aim to achieve net zero carbon emissions. Beyond operational energy, net zero in buildings also addresses " embodied carbon " – the built-in carbon and energy content of construction materials and processes during design and construction, or when doing a refit.
Since the groundbreaking academic work by environmental scientists and engineers in the early years of GWP studies, peerreviewed data have been collated and
Tonnes of paper waste is upcycled into cellulose fibre insulation in compliance with SANS10400-XA: 2021
interpreted in a seminal document authored by researchers under the supervision of Professor Geoff Hammond and Dr Craig Jones. Both were based at the University of Bath ' s Institute for Sustainable Energy and the Environment. This led to the release of the Carbon and Energy Tables( ICE) in 2006, and five years later, the construction industry NPO, the Building Services Research and
Information Association( BSRIA), released the ICE results in a universally used Guide. The tables are essentially an advanced statistical analysis of data from various secondary sources, including primary research. Various consulting firms, academics and industry bodies have developed their own versions of“ carbon tables” based on this groundbreaking work.
64 autumn 2026 | www. tobuild. co. za