Impact of Added Thermal Insulation on Cold Attics in Apartment Buildings in Temperate Climate – A Review

Added insulation in cold attics can be an efficient and profitable energy efficiency measure. Simultaneously, added insulation increases the risk of a decreased temperature in the attic, thereby increasing the risk of high relative humidity and moisture damage. This paper collocates and reviews previous publications that deal with the impact of added insulation on attics as a renovation measure. This is done by systematically searching for publications relevant to tempered climate, specifically Swedish climate. Furthermore, the review aims to categorize and review existing literature in order to synthesize the examined impact of additional insulation of cold attics regarding the potential for energy reduction, the impact on risks for moisture damage, and the impact on indoor environmental quality. Results from the literature review show that the measure reduces the energy use of buildings and emissions. Furthermore, the measure is shown to be a profitable measure, especially in combination with other measures. However, previous publications also show that with increased insulation, the risk for moisture damage also increases, but that supplemental measures can be taken in order to reduce such a risk.