by Naomi Grint, UCL Energy Institute
Internal wall insulation (IWI) is among the most effective retrofit strategies, but there is uncertainty surrounding moisture risk. This research addresses the need for long term, high resolution, in-situ datasets by providing in-wall moisture data from three walls of in-use buildings over three to four years. This includes at least one year of data before and after the installation of IWI for two of the walls, with corresponding data for a similar uninsulated wall over the same time period. The hygrothermal response to various factors for similar uninsulated walls is explored, and deterministic and stochastic sensitivity analyses are undertaken, revealing both the impact of material properties on modelled humidity in the wall and the potential for simplification of moisture transport and storage functions. The impact of adding IWI is then explored, comparing the in-wall conditions of two walls, including the impact of additional moisture loads and drying conditions.