Benefits of Insulation
Energy Savings
Substantial quantities of heat energy are wasted daily in industrial plants
nationwide because of underinsulated, undermaintained or uninsulated heated
and cooled surfaces. Properly
designed and installed insulation systems will immediately reduce the
need for energy. Benefits to industry include enormous cost savings, improved
productivity, and enhanced environmental quality.
Process
Control
By reducing heat loss or gain, insulation can help maintain process temperature
to a pre-determined value or within a predetermined range. The insulation
thickness must be sufficient to limit the heat transfer in a dynamic system
or limit the temperature change, with time, in a static system. The need
to provide time for owners to take remedial action in emergency situations
in the event of loss of electrical power, or heat sources is a major reason
for this action in a static systems.
Condensation
Control
Specifying sufficient insulation thickness with an effective vapor retarder
system is the most effective means of providing a system for controlling
condensation on the membrane surface and within the insulation system
on cold piping, ducts, chillers and roof drains. Sufficient insulation
thickness is needed to keep the surface temperature of the membrane above
the highest possible design dewpoint temperature of the ambient air so
condensation does not form on the surface. The effective vapor retarder
system is needed to restrict moisture migration into the system through
the facing, joints, seams, penetrations, hangers, and supports. By controlling
condensation, the system designer may control the potential for:
•
Degrading system service life and performance.
• Mold growth and the potential for health problems resulting from
water condensate.
• Corrosion of pipes, valves and fittings caused by water collected
and contained within insulation system.
Personnel
Protection
Thermal insulation is one of the most effective means of protecting workers
from second and third degree burns resulting from skin contact for more
than 5 seconds with surfaces of hot piping and equipment operating at
temperatures above 136.4°F (ASTM C 1055). Insulation reduces the surface
temperature of piping or equipment to a safer level,
resulting in increased worker safety and the avoidance of worker downtime
due to injury.
Fire
Protection
Used in combination with other materials, insulation helps provide fire
protection in:
•
Firestop systems designed to provide an effective barrier against the
spread of flame, smoke, and gases at penetrations of fire resistance rated
assemblies by ducts, pipes, and cable.
• Grease- and air-duct fireproofing.
• Electrical and communications conduit and cable protection.
Sound
Attenuation
Insulation materials can be used in the design of an assembly having a
high sound transmission loss to be installed between the source and the
surrounding area. Sometimes, insulations with high sound absorption characteristics
may be used on the source side of an enclosure to help lower the exposure
to people to noise in areas immediately around the noise source by absorption
and thereby contribute to the reduction of the noise level on the other
side of the enclosure.
Aesthetics
Most mechanical insulation systems in commercial construction are not
generally visible to the occupants of the building. The common exceptions
to this are found in mechanical equipment rooms where the heating equipment,
cooling equipment, and the associated piping is visible to the personnel
who work or otherwise must access these areas. It is common practice to
require a finished and neat appearance for insulation surfaces that are
visible within the building envelope. These surfaces may also be painted
or covered for a more acceptable appearance in the case of hospitals,
schools, supermarkets, restaurants and even in industrial facilities in
food processing, and computer component manufacturing where visible to
the occupants.
Greenhouse
Gas Reduction
Thermal insulation for mechanical systems provides immediate reductions
in CO2 , NOx and greenhouse gas emissions to the outdoor environment in
flue or stack emissions by reducing fuel consumption required at the combustion
sites because less heat is gained or lost by the system.
