CONSUMPTION of expanded polystyrene (EPS) as an insulation material in Slovakia is growing. During the first nine months of 2011 it grew by 3 percent year-on-year. The Association of Producers, Processors, and Users of Expanded Polystyrene in Slovakia reported the growth on November 2, 2011.
Consumption of EPS rose by 10.5 percent to 30,000 tonnes in 2010, thus nearing the record of 30,050 tonnes set in 2008, the SITA newswire wrote.
Slovakia’s EPS consumption follows the trend set by other EU countries, whose year-on-year increase in consumption was about 3.3 percent during the monitored period. Of all EU countries, France, Poland, Austria and Germany reported the highest consumption of EPS. The lowest consumption was registered in Greece, Hungary, Italy and Spain.
Complete insulation of a building [using EPS] can achieve a reduction of up to 66 percent in the heat consumption of prefabricated buildings, while in the case of detached family houses this can rise to as much as 70-79 percent.
Polystyrene foam is the most commonly used insulation material in Slovakia. The life span of such insulation is about 50 years.
