More and more architects are simply incorporating biobased insulation into their designs.
Because it makes sense.
With the ambitions of the project.
With comfort.
With future-proof building.
And yet, almost every time it goes wrong.
Not in the design.
But later.
In the FD (Final Design).
Or even later during construction.
Someone looks at the budget.
Sees a potential saving.
And suddenly a “comparable” alternative is on the table.
Glass wool. PIR.
Same Rc (thermal resistance).
Lower price.
Or higher Rc.
Half the thickness.
And with that, the choice seems simple.
Until you look at what really changes.
So the question is not whether biobased insulation disappears.
The question is: why can it happen so easily?
At what point is biobased insulation cut back?
Biobased insulation is almost never scrapped from the design itself, but rather afterwards.
In the transition from preliminary design to final design or implementation, the dynamic changes. Budgets are tightened, contractors start optimising, and clients look for savings. Precisely then, biobased insulation stops being a fixed component and becomes a variable that can be adjusted.
Why does it seem as if you can simply replace biobased insulation?
Because on paper everything remains the same – and that is misleading.
The Rc-value remains the same, the thickness remains the same, and the function seems identical. As a result, an alternative such as glass wool or PIR seems a logical replacement. What is missing in this comparison are properties such as moisture behaviour, heat storage, and comfort.
What really goes wrong when biobased insulation is cut back?
What goes wrong is not the choice for a different material, but the disappearance of the construction's performance.
As long as biobased insulation is specified as a material, it remains replaceable. But as soon as you consider it as part of a vapour-open and moisture-regulating system, replacement becomes a substantive change with consequences for comfort and sustainability.
Why is positioning more important than price for biobased insulation?
Positioning determines whether biobased insulation is seen as essential or optional.
When it is presented as a sustainable extra, it automatically becomes the first thing to be cut. When it is part of the construction's performance, it becomes much more difficult to scrap without introducing risks.
Why is biobased insulation often seen as an “extra”?
Biobased insulation is often seen as an extra because it is presented as a separate choice.
In many projects, it is implicitly separate from the basic structure. As a result, it feels like an addition rather than an integral part of the design.
What does this have to do with how we've come to view vegetarian food?
The way biobased insulation is positioned is similar to how vegetarian dishes used to be displayed on menus.
When vegetarian options were presented separately, they felt niche and were chosen less often. Now that they are integrated into the menu, they naturally become part of the choice. The same shift is needed for biobased insulation.
What happens if you don't position biobased insulation as a “special”?
If biobased insulation becomes part of the standard solution, it will disappear less quickly from projects.
At that point, the discussion changes. It is no longer about preference or sustainability, but about maintaining the construction's performance. That makes replacement substantively more complex.
H2: What changes technically if you replace biobased insulation?
Upon replacement, the moisture behaviour, heat storage, and indoor climate of the construction change.
These properties largely determine the comfort and performance of a building, but are not included in standard calculations or quotations. As a result, the difference often remains invisible.
H2: Why are contractors often hesitant about biobased insulation?
Contractors are hesitant because biobased insulation presents more uncertainty for them.
It involves different materials, different processing, and a greater chance of errors if there is no experience. Therefore, they often choose familiar solutions that are predictable in implementation.
H2: Why do clients agree to replace biobased insulation?
Clients agree because the difference is not made concrete.
They see a lower price and comparable technical values. Without a clear explanation of the consequences, the choice seems logical, even if it is not substantively the case.
H2: What is the real reason biobased insulation is scrapped?
Biobased insulation is scrapped because it has been made too easily replaceable in the design.
This happens when it is not described as a system, not defined as a performance, and not financially well-substantiated.
H2: How do you prevent biobased insulation from disappearing from your project?
You prevent this by specifying biobased insulation as part of a system and performance.
This means that you not only name the material, but also define the behaviour of the construction and make the consequences of changes transparent.
H2: How do you specify biobased insulation so that it is not replaceable?
You specify it by describing the construction as a whole instead of just the material.
For example, by talking about a vapour-open and moisture-regulating structure with capillary-active insulation. This defines what the construction should do, not just what it consists of.
H2: Why is substantiating costs crucial for biobased insulation?
Because the assumption that biobased is more expensive is often incorrect.
In many renovation projects, the price difference is small or even favourable for biobased insulation, for example due to efficient processing and subsidies. Without this substantiation, however, it remains a “more expensive option” in perception.
H2: Why should you involve implementation earlier with biobased insulation?
Because many choices are lost if contractors are involved too late.
If implementation is involved early, there is more support, risks are better assessed, and the likelihood of biobased insulation being replaced later decreases.
H2: What do we see happening in practice with biobased insulation?
We see that biobased insulation is often scrapped and then reconsidered.
In many cases, the price difference turns out to be smaller than expected or even more favourable for biobased insulation. But then the discussion has to be re-initiated, which takes time and energy.
H2: What is the core of the problem with biobased insulation in projects?
The core is that biobased insulation is not seen as essential performance.
As a result, it remains a variable in the process and not a fixed part of the design. And anything that is variable will sooner or later be questioned.
H2: How does the discussion change if you handle this well?
The discussion shifts from price to performance.
Instead of “can we do this cheaper?” the question becomes: “can we maintain this performance?” That makes it much more difficult to replace biobased insulation without consequences.
H2: Are you working on a project where biobased insulation is under pressure?
Then this is the time to position and substantiate it properly.
We at Isoleerbewust help architects and contractors to properly position biobased insulation technically and financially, so that it remains intact during the implementation phase.
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