If you live near the Mediterranean Sea, you might be familiar with little balls of

seaweed that regularly wash up on the beach. These come from the Posidonia
oceanica plant (better known as Neptune grass), and are generally thought of as a
nuisance. Now, however, Germanys Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology is
involved in a project thats converting the little balls into high-quality building
insulation.
Besides being plentiful, renewable and not wanted for anything else, the dead
seaweed is reportedly mold-resistant, almost completely non-flammable, wont rot,
and doesnt require the addition of any other compounds good news for people
who are chemically-sensitive. It can also absorb water vapor and release it again,
without compromising its own insulation value.
Converting the Neptune balls into a more easily-applicable form of insulation
proved to be challenging, however. In its rolled-up form, the seaweed harbors a lot
of sand, and its fibers tend to catch on things, causing the balls to clump together.
Mechanically shaking the seaweed seems to do the trick. It causes the clumpedtogether balls to separate, and the sand to fall out. After being shaken, the Neptune
balls travel down a conveyor belt and are cut up. As a result, the seaweed is no
longer in ball form, but instead consists of loose non-clumping 1.5- to 2-centimeter
(0.6 to 0.8-inch) long fibers. The whole process is said to require relatively little
energy.
The fibers can be stored and transported in plastic bags, and then blown and/or
hand-packed into attics or walls like other types of insulation. The loose material has
an energy value of 2.502 joules per kilogram kelvin, which Fraunhofer claims is 20
percent higher than that of wood-based insulation. There are also plans to make it
available in sheet form.
The Neptune balls are currently being harvested by hand and imported to Germany
from Tunisia and Albania. The insulation is being produced and marketed under the
name of NeptuTherm, by a company of the same name. Electricity, gas and oil are more expensive than
ever, so intelligent energy management has never been more important Electricity, gas and oil are more expensive than ever, so intelligent energy
management has never been more important than today. But what does energy efficiency actually mean? What are the benefits - for the
environment and our own pockets? Must we accept drastic limitations in order to consume less energy?
Buildings account for 40% of Europe's energy use and a third of its greenhouse gas emissions. If we want to transform our society into an energyefficient and decarbonised one, energy-intelligent buildings will have to play a vital role. Many new building proposals include the provision of
energy efficient and cooling technologies such as solar thermal heating systems, combined heat and power (CHP), heat pumps and thermal energy
storage. All of these innovations are commercially available today. There is another, cost-effective option available however: environmentally
friendly insulation.
For many coastal dwellers, seaweed washed up on the shore is nothing but a nuisance. But what does that have to do with buildings and heating?
German researchers have found that this raw material has the potential to keep buildings well insulated. Together with industry partners,
researchers have succeeded in turning this substance into a viable insulation material.
Throughout autumn, winter and spring, Mediterranean beaches are littered with little balls of seaweed from the Posidonia oceanica plant, more
commonly known as Neptune grass. Although this natural material is regarded as a waste product and generally ends up as landfill, this readily
abundant and renewable material is in fact far too valuable to be thrown away. The seaweed displays a variety of characteristics that make it of
interest to the building trade, such as virtual non-flammability and resistance to mould. It can be used as an insulating material without the need
for chemical additives, and can be applied between the rafters of pitched roofs and against interior walls. Seaweed fibres act as a buffer, absorbing
water vapour and releasing it again without impairing its own ability to keep the building insulated. And with a salt content of just 0.5 to 2
percent, Neptune balls can be used to produce insulation material that will not rot away.