We Call Our Citizens To Make Thicker Insulation

We have been experiencing the repercussions of price surges in global energy markets around the world on our country.  The increasing natural gas and energy costs resulted in the increase in the importance of measures on a daily basis. Newly built buildings in our country are obligated to be built with thermal insulation, yet despite this, almost 8 out of 10 buildings in our country do not have insulation. As we fail to keep the heat inside buildings in our uninsulated buildings, we waste half or even more of the natural gas we consume in vain. The surging energy prices are directly reflected in our energy imports.

The temporary foreign trade statistics created by TURKSTAT and the Ministry of Trade indicate that energy imports of our country in 2021 amounted to $50.7 billion. It is highly probable that this amount will exceed $100 billion in 2022. This increase is ultimately reflected in our bills. As İZODER, we have been working on establishing insulation in our existing uninsulated buildings, which amounted to 8 out of 10 buildings in our country for a long time. As a result of these efforts, the financing solution developed under the leadership of our Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, Ministry of Environment and Urbanization, and Ministry of Treasury and Finance and announced to the public by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the President of the Republic of Türkiye, under an interest rate of 0.99 per cent and a term of 60 months up to TRY 50 thousand stands out as an important opportunity in terms of insulation. Through this loan, it is possible to reduce gas bills by half without missing these times when the seasonal conditions are the most suitable for insulation applications.

“Insulation Loan” Pays its Expenses Through Insulation Savings

We have stated on every platform that financial support mechanisms should be established in which loan instalments can be paid via the energy savings provided by our existing building stock in order to make energy efficient through insulation. As a result of the “Insulation Loan” announced, our people will be able to use a loan of up to TRY 50 thousand with a 60-month maturity at an interest rate of 0.99 per cent, and they will be able to heat their homes in winter and cool them in summer with lower bills. Moreover, a significant portion of the loan instalments will pay its expenses through savings in natural gas and electricity bills. Today, the cost of thermal insulation on the exterior of an average apartment in Istanbul is between TRY 25,000 and 30,000 per apartment. In case our citizens use an insulation loan of TRY 30,000+VAT on average with a 60-month maturity, the monthly instalment amounts approximately to TRY 835 if they insulate their roofs and facades. Even if we assume that the current natural gas prices do not change in the next year, 50 per cent of the instalment of the loan is covered by insulation and savings from heating only. Calculations reveal that if energy prices increase by the average of the last 10 years, the fuel savings achieved from 2 to 3 years will be more than the loan instalments.

We Call Our Citizens To Make Thicker Insulation

In general, apart from the cost of the insulation material in applications, independent of the insulation thickness, there are infrastructure costs such as scaffolding installation, electricity and water, auxiliary material costs such as adhesive, plaster, dowel, net, etc., complementary material costs such as paint, siding, and labour costs. Among all these costs, the additional cost of increasing the thickness of the insulation material is quite low, albeit varying from application to application. In other words, we should use the insulation board as thick as possible, which will ensure energy efficiency, while we have the scaffolding installed, the worker taken to the scaffolding, and the materials such as adhesive, plaster, and paint. Now, we need to establish insulation of 6-8 cm in hot climates like Antalya and Izmir, 9-10 cm in temperate climates like Istanbul, 10-12 cm in cold places like Ankara, and 14-15 cm in very cold places like Erzurum. The same is the case for windows. We should use insulating glasses with heat and/or solar control coating instead of conventional uncoated glasses in windows. At this point, we call all our citizens to go beyond the legislation with the insulation loan provided and to make thicker insulation by aiming to reach buildings with energy class B.

The Effect of Increasing Insulation Thickness on Construction Cost is Quite Small

As the insulation thickness increases, the energy efficiency to be achieved increases at the same rate. On the other hand, the increase in thickness has little effect on the construction cost. Doubling the insulation thickness does not double the total cost, but doubles the potential of savings in heating and cooling. Thermal insulation applications pay back in a short time by reducing both initial investment and operating costs and keep bringing savings throughout the life of the building. Contact İZODER for further information about Insulation and Insulation Loan.

Emrullah Eruslu, Chairman of the Board of the Association of Thermal Insulation, Waterproofing, Sound Insulation and Fireproofing Material Producers, Suppliers and Applicators (İZODER)