How Sheep From New Zealand are Revolutionizing Home Energy Efficiency

Building codes and savvy homeowners are both seeing the value of an energy-efficient home. Your home’s building envelope—the exterior framing that keeps your warm indoor air in and the cold winter air out—must be effective if you are to reduce your energy consumption and create a comfortable home. Traditional insulation, while effective, can off-gas chemicals and, from production to landfill, doesn’t have a particularly eco-friendly footprint.

But, a healthier, more sustainable option is available; wool insulation from free-roaming sheep in New Zealand. A natural fiber, wool traps air, moisture and harmful chemicals to improve air quality while keeping warmth inside during winter and out during the warmer summer months. And honestly, can you think of anything better than your home being wrapped in the warm embrace of sheep belly wool? I know I can’t!

Healthy Indoor Air

Dr. Joe Allen of Harvard’s T. H. Chan School of Public Health recently presented his groundbreaking study exposing office occupants to varying levels of CO2 and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and then measuring performance on critical tasks in areas like information seeking, strategy and task orientation. On average, cognitive scores were 61% higher in buildings with low VOC levels and 101% higher in buildings that also had higher ventilation rates.

Wool’s ability to trap harmful chemicals will improve your home’s indoor air quality, which is a smart move.

Benefits of Wool Insulation

Contrary to what you may think, wool is actually fire resistant. It also controls moisture, which reduces the chances of mold or mildew in your home. Free from harmful chemicals, it is completely natural and biodegradable. Wool will also help to reduce noise in your home and it’s long lasting, so your home will be comfy for many years to come.

Wool insulation provides a building envelope that delivers comfort. That’s because it retains its shape and volume. Traditional kinds of insulation tend to lose their R-value over time due to settling or moisture.

Andrew Legge, owner of Havelock Wool says: “Havelock Wool is 100 percent natural sheep wool sourced from the bellies of sheep that roam the rolling hills of New Zealand. This stuff has been around thousands of years, evolving to protect the animals from the elements, whether it’s hot or cold, damp or dry. We’re just offering the same thing for your home. It is scientifically understood that wool manages moisture against 65% relative humidity, irreversibly bonds with formaldehyde, nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide, and the trade is responsible for the sequestration of some 525,000 tons of pure, atmosphere-derived carbon. Wool is also entirely renewable and sustainable in its creation, a great insulator that has evolved over thousands of years, and compostable at the end of an extended useful life.”

If you’re looking to create a healthier home, while being an eco-conscious consumer, you might want to consider wool insulation. For more information, visit www.havelockwool.com.