Energy performance of sheep wool used as thermal insulation material in a rural housing program for the warm zone of Uruguay

Abstract

Due to its set of characteristics and physical properties, sheep wool has optimal conditions for use as thermal insulation, it’s an excellent acoustic insulator, has a low toxicity index, and is fire-resistant. The aim of this research is to develop a material suitable for use in building construction, to understand its thermal properties, and to evaluate its performance. To this end, the results of the material conditioning process are described, which enable its practical application; its thermal conductivity is studied through tests on samples of varying densities; and finally, the energy performance of a dwelling insulated with sheep wool is studied through the simulation of a numerical model. The tests carried out confirm the adequate thermal behavior of wool as an insulation material. It can be concluded that insulated thermal mass is highly beneficial as a passive design strategy for cold-season requirements, with reduction in the percentage of discomfort hours between 30% and 55% compared to the base case. However, it may lead to overheating of indoor spaces during the warm season, implying the need to optimize architectural design to improve comfort requirements in living spaces.