Energy Performance Evaluation and Indoor Environmental Quality Study of a Home Renovated Using Hempcrete

Hempcrete is being recognized as an alternative bio-based insulation material for use in residential construction. A mixture of hemp fiber and hurd, lime, and water, this product can substitute fiberglass batt insulation and rigid foam insulation and reduce the carbon emissions associated with residential construction. While there are some studies on the thermal resistance of hempcrete and walls made with hempcrete, actual data on indoor environmental quality (IEQ) and energy performance of homes built with hempcrete are scarce. The research reported here presents an indoor environmental quality study based on measurements of the air inside a renovated house in New Castle, Pennsylvania, USA, that used hempcrete for walls. This paper also reports on the energy performance of the case study house based on energy modeling using the BEopt software tool using a comparative approach to show energy saving potential compared to the case of conventional batt insulation use. The project was initiated by DON Enterprises, Inc. to renovate a blighted house in New Castle, in an effort to demonstrate the feasibility of incorporating hempcrete into sustainable home building. This paper reports experimentally measured IEQ results and develops energy models and analyses of home energy use and discusses the evaluation of the energy efficiency of hempcrete walls compared with conventional fiberglass batt insulation.