Insulated wall systems to tackle global warming

The growing awareness of climate change and its link to carbon dioxide emissions have caused concerns in the community. A substantial amount of carbon dioxide emitted is due to the energy consumed by residential households. Heating/cooling of a residential house consumes a large proportion of the total household energy. This paper explores the concept by comparing thermal efficiency of the four most common external wall structures, with varying amounts of insulation added in the context of Sydney, Australia. Cost and thermal analysis for each wall type are calculated. Life cycle cost saving and payback period are then evaluated. It is found that up to 95.7% cost saving can be achieved in heating/cooling in comparing the use of insulated wall systems and air film. Cement sheet wall system is found to be the most cost effective wall system for insulation with minimum 50% of cost saving can be achieved. The results also identify substantial energy cost required for heating/cooling a house without insulation when the climate gets extreme. The payback period for the installation of the insulated wall systems can be achieved in 4.98 years for normal climate condition or 2.58 years for extreme climate condition. Practical implications: The community is currently at great risk of being unable to deal with climate change issue as not clear the effective use of insulated wall systems. This paper can help provide insight and suggestions for residential households in tackling global warming issue.