Energy and carbon mitigation potential of sustainable alfa fiber biobased composites for ecological construction applications

Abstract

Although high-performance synthetic insulation materials are widely used, the transient thermal behavior of bio-based alfa fiber composites in the building envelopes of Mediterranean remains largely under-researched. This study focuses on the integration of a composite material based on mortar reinforced with alfa fibers into building construction, as a significant step towards more sustainable and environmentally friendly practices. One of the most remarkable features of alfa fibers is their ability to provide effective thermal insulation. Thanks to their natural structure and insulating properties. A building in a Mediterranean climate was studied using TRNSYS software to compare energy consumption with a reference configuration built using local materials. The innovation lies in the use of fiber-reinforced mortar (2 cm) and fiber insulation panels (3 cm). The results revealed that this material helps to maintain a comfortable indoor temperature while reducing heat loss in winter and limiting excessive heat ingress in summer, delivering a 14% and 11% reduction in energy consumption for cooling and heating, respectively. Furthermore, promoting energy savings, the incorporation of alfa fibers makes a significant contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, thus helping to mitigate the ecological impact of the building. lowering CO2 emissions from 2306.49 to 848.49 kg CO2 eq. due to reduced thermal demands. As well as promoting energy savings, the incorporation of alfa fibers makes a significant contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, thus helping to mitigate the ecological impact of the building.