Assessing the opportunity for producing hemp-based insulation in the Australian market

Philip Christopher; Lu  Aye; Neda Nematollahi; Tuan Ngo

doi:10.56748/ejse.24590

Authors

Philip Christopher University of Melbourne https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5469-1773
Lu Aye The University of Melbourne https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5495-1683
Neda Nematollahi University of Melbourne https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3108-1272
Tuan Ngo University of Melbourne

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.56748/ejse.24590

Keywords:

Australian market, Renewable material, Industrial hemp, Fibre, Thermal insulation

Abstract

By-products (wastes or residues) of renewable materials have the potential to be manufactured into higher value fibre insulation products for the Australian market. Currently, such products have been imported for servicing the Australian market. This presents a potential opportunity to divert considerable quantities of waste from landfill and produce a high performance, locally made, low carbon, natural fibre insulation product for the Australian domestic and commercial building industry. This article assesses the hemp-based bulk insulations available in the Australian market.

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Author Biography

Lu Aye, The University of Melbourne

Lu Aye is a Professor in the Department of Infrastructure Engineering at the University of Melbourne, Australia. Prof. Aye has more than 40 years of engineering experience in university teaching, research, development, demonstration and commercialisation of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies.

He has been internationally recognised as an expert in low-carbon technologies for built environment applications. His research areas include heating, ventilation, air-conditioning and refrigeration systems, waste to resources, complex systems modelling. Prof. Aye applied phenomenological modelling and simulation approaches for optimising energy systems. He also utilised computational and participatory approaches for modelling socio-ecological systems under deep uncertainty. These system models have been applied for identifying the effects of policy interventions and robust decision making. He has been recognised as a leading expert in modelling, simulation, optimisation and forecasting of complex systems behaviours.

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