A recent survey of European industrial plants indicated that 10% of the installed equipment on the Continent was either un-insulated or covered in damaged insulation, creating a significant potential for both energy and CO2 savings. The European Industrial Insulation Foundation (EIIF) calculated that the energy “leakage” from this insulation deficit amounted to 620 picojoules, which is equivalent to the entire annual industrial energy consumption in Holland.
According to EIIF, 620 picojoules would provide electricity for 10 million households, and the energy savings from the addition of insulation would mean 15 coal-fired plants could be — in effect — turned off. What’s more, the payback time from the insulation investment would be less than a year. The EIIF calculations and assumptions make a powerful argument for installing insulation to save energy and CO2.