Could Hemp Be the Sustainable Insulation Material of the Future?
As environmental concerns become increasingly clear, many people are starting to think more about how their decisions can have a sustainable impact, and that's how Hempitecture emerged
Published on 09/08/2021
Edition and curation by Sechat, information from Canex
Last year, the UK government announced its "Green Homes" scheme to contribute to the nation's mission to become carbon neutral by 2030. At the time, many questioned how hemp could play a role in protecting the sustainability of homes. Now, the US Department of Energy (DOE) is sponsoring a project to develop hemp fiber insulation products designed with the environment and public health in mind.
According to the Marijuana Moment news portal, the agency has awarded Tommy Gibbons, COO of Hempitecture - a hemp insulation manufacturer based in Idaho - an annual compensation of $90,000 and up to $200,000 to support research on their insulation product.
The DOE is particularly interested in the company's HempWool® product - a biobased material made of 92% hemp fiber, designed as an environmentally sustainable and non-toxic alternative to traditional insulation options.
Hempitecture's HempWool® product is described as "the most sustainable and high-performance insulation material on the planet".
Hempitecture COO, Tommy Gibbons, told HempBuildMag:
The Department of Energy is interested in the decarbonization potential of insulation and other building materials made from hemp fibers.
Tommy Gibbons
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With the help of DOE sponsorship, Hempitecture "plans to conduct research and testing on new proprietary blends of its insulation material to enhance its insulation value and fire resistance" and "manufacture insulation on-site using industrial hemp waste from American farmers", according to a description of the DOE-supported project.
The description continues: "An emphasis on healthy and low-carbon building materials has sparked a search for consumer and government solutions to rebuild better infrastructure and reduce the massive footprint of the built environment."
A Trend of Hemp Use in Construction
The project is part of the DOE's Innovation Crossroads program, developed to help meet the goal of expanding clean energy use and reducing carbon emissions, as set by the Biden administration.
Hempitecture also manufactures Hempcrete - an eco-friendly, fire-resistant hemp-based building material. Presented as a more ecological and sustainable alternative to concrete, Hempcrete is increasingly seen as a tool to improve the carbon footprint of the construction industry.
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This recent move by the US Department of Energy seems to support what many have been saying for years: hemp can offer a sustainable alternative for many products, as well as a solid investment.
This is supported by the action of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which in April announced a $100,000 grant to Washington-based Earth Merchant to support the development of hemp-based bricks as an alternative to concrete blocks.
In the UK, hemp building materials company UK Hempcrete is also manufacturing hemp concrete products as alternatives to traditional concrete options.
More than being carbon neutral, evidence shows that hemp and other hemp-based building materials, like Hempitecture's HempWool®, actually absorb CO2.
In a video made for TRUIC, Hempitecture CEO Matthew Mead talks a bit more about their projects and how their creation can be a sustainable alternative for the future.