Uncertain multi-criteria sustainability assessment of green building insulation materials

Abstract

Sustainability assessment is the key procedure applied for selecting building insulation materials in order to ensure satisfactory performance and long-term impacts on society and environment. Insulation of buildings is considered as a very efficient energy saving technique leading to significant reduction in GHG emission. There are many building insulation materials and technologies ranging from traditional inorganic synthetic to organic natural ones which are based on recyclable and renewable biological resources. The paper aims to propose a framework for sustainability assessment of insulation materials for buildings. The interval TOPSIS method is applied for multi-criteria assessment. The results of multi-criteria sustainability assessment of organic and inorganic building insulation materials revealed that recycled glass and sheep wool appear as the most desirable options when different scenarios are assumed.