Turkey started the new year with the increase in energy prices. Explaining the way to minimize natural gas bills while providing comfortable heating to consumers, Izocam drew attention to the importance of thick insulation and "U" values.
Izocam, the leading brand of the insulation sector, drew attention to the importance of thickness in thermal insulation at the Energy Efficiency Week celebrated between January 10-16… While obtaining a comfortable heating in the houses, the way to minimize natural gas bills is through thick insulation. When it comes to thick insulation, it is necessary to mention the "U value". “U-value” means the total thermal permeability coefficient of insulation products and it varies according to each material.
Speaking on the occasion of the Energy Efficiency Week, Izocam General Director Murat Savcı emphasized that as a country, we can make the real leap in energy efficiency by increasing the "U values". Stating that the primary target for the fulfillment of international commitments as in the Paris Agreement, the buildings in Turkey should be to have an environmentally friendly structure that consumes less energy, Savcı said "When we compare the standards defined in developed countries with the practices recommended in our country, we clearly see the need to improve our U-values as a country".
Noting that we need to further increase the thermal insulation thicknesses determined in line with the limit values in the TS 825 Standard of Thermal Insulation Rules in Buildings in our country, Savcı said, “Currently, the annual energy consumption in insulated buildings in accordance with the standards is at the level of 120 - 150 kW per square meter. In terms of building energy efficiency, energy consumption per square meter/year in developed countries has been determined as 30-50 kW. When designing a building, it is recommended that the annual total energy consumption per square meter for heating and cooling of this building should be at this level. In Turkey, on the other hand, we are trying to insulate at the level of 120-150 kW per square meter per year. There is a difference of almost 4-5 times between us and EU countries".
It is possible to save more than 60% on bills
Underlining that significant amounts will be contributed to the household and country budgets thanks to insulation, Izocam General Director Murat Savcı noted that by the end of 2020, only 20 percent of the nearly 10 million building stock in Turkey, with an optimistic estimation, is insulated in accordance with the TS 825 Thermal Insulation in Buildings Regulation. Stating that as a country that imports more than half of the energy we consume, energy efficient cities will also contribute greatly to the country's economy, Savcı said “when we look at Turkey, we see that our energy imports amounted to 41.2 billion dollars in 2019, making up 20.3% of the total imports of 202.7 billion dollars. In the first 9 months of 2020, our energy imports amounted to 21.5 billion dollars, forming 13.7% of our total imports of 156.2 billion dollars. Now, we can say that energy imports constitute the most important part of our foreign trade deficit. When we look at the data from the Turkish Statistical Institute, Turkey's energy import bill was amounted 8 billion 695 million dollars in the first quarter of 2021. In the last 10 years, the cost of total energy imports to the country's economy is over 450 billion dollars… We import more than half of the energy we consume from abroad. Energy efficiency and good insulation practices are essential in order to reduce the current account deficit to lower levels and to reduce our dependence on foreign energy.”
Emphasizing that insulation is a system that pays for itself and earns itself when the first investment is made, Savcı said, “The money spent on insulation is not lost, it returns to the national economy. Thanks to the thermal insulation applied according to the regulations, at least 60 percent energy savings can be achieved compared to an uninsulated building. Thanks to the insulation made with such practices, we can reduce energy costs, reduce carbon emissions and protect nature.
Stating that mandatory the Energy Identity Certificate (ECP), which came into force as of January 1, 2020, will make a serious contribution to energy saving in buildings in the medium term, Murat Savcı noted that this certificate is given according to the current situation in old buildings, but that the buildings that will be built or under construction must meet the requirements of at least C class of the EKB class. Drawing attention to the importance of insulation products to be used in buildings, Savcı continued his words as follows: “Productions based on commercial concerns expose the end user to danger in an environment where there is no effective control. The consumer should be very careful about this while insulating. They should use the products of trusted brands in insulation, and make sure that they use the right material and in the right thickness. It is important for those who want to have insulation to choose a company that has a well-equipped technical team and specializes in choosing the right material. Otherwise, details in insulation applications may be overlooked.”