Questionnaire survey on the use of thermal insulation solutions in building facades of Italy, Norway and Portugal

The building sector is responsible for more than 40% of the energy consumption in Europe, with 27% attributable to the residential sector. The level of thermal insulation of the building envelope plays a fundamental role in the reduction of the energy consumption. Therefore, the choice of the most suitable thermal insulation material to be applied is of fundamental importance for an adequate thermal performance of the building. However, the thermal insulation material should not be chosen considering only the thermal performance, but rather based on a set of performance parameters (i.e., water resistance, fire performance, impact on the environment and human health, among others) and climate-related requirements for each country with different application conditions. This study aimed to provide a new understanding on the use of thermal insulation solutions in building facades of Italy, Norway and Portugal. A questionnaire survey was prepared considering the relationships among the various Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental and Legal (PESTEL) factors involved in the choice of thermal insulation materials. The respondents were clustered considering their level of specialisation and knowledge about thermal insulation solutions. This work is part of the wider EEA Granted EFFICACY project, whose overall objective is to create a database that will serve as a reference for the choice of thermal insulation materials to be used in new construction and for the thermal retrofitting of building facades.