| Abstract |
Thermal comfort has a major impact on the quality of the indoor environment, and the choice of construction materials plays a critical role in this regard. A tried-and-true method for lowering the heat loss and consequently enhancing a building's energy consumption pattern is thermal insulation. The exceptional hygrothermal qualities of agricultural wastes and other related organic byproducts have made them a popular choice for thermal insulation in the past. The use of loose-fill organic waste materials, as an alternative to non-renewable synthetic materials, is reviewed in this paper with a special emphasis on the circular economy. These agro- and forestry-derived insulation materials, including wheat, flax, hemp, husk, bamboo, and other wood derived products, offer a sustainable way to manage and dispose of organic wastes in addition to lowering the energy usage pattern in the building. Numerous physio-mechanical and thermos-hygric characteristics of these wastes have been discussed, including their density, compressive strength, tensile strength, flexural characteristics, water absorption capacity, thermal conductivity, and hygrothermal qualities. A quantitative statistical analysis has been employed at the end to evaluate the most feasible alternative. It was found that among the considered alternatives, insulating panels made from hemp offer the best solution in terms of structural and thermos-hygric performances with the lowest thermal conductivity and water absorption of 0.040 W/mK and 25.8% respectively. This was exhibited by the highest statistically calculated TOPSIS preference score of 0.331 for hempcrete, making it a sustainable alternative to conventionally used synthetic insulation materials. |