Bukit Raja, Klang - In response to the Pope’s call on Laudato Si', a group of 17 Kristus Aman parishioners took a trip to the ROCKWOOL factory on 28 September 2019, to acquaint themselves on the insulation product and the role it plays in energy efficiency and climate change.

The main presenter Diana Ang briefed that the product was eco-friendly using a natural material – basalt, a commonly found stone, and slag. Harvested from local quarries, it is crushed and together with binders is processed into stone wool, compressed and rolled and cut either into bales or slabs to be installed either below roof tiles, on ceilings or walls. On walls and partitions, it also acts as an noise reduction barrier, making the room quieter. In the manufacturing process itself, care is taken to prevent dust pollution and high pressure water jets may be used to cut up the finished product. The fibres of the stone result in an end product which is light yet durable for a lifetime.

We were told that ROCKWOOL is a Danish company with many branches in Europe, the US and Asia, all with a common approach to manufacturing of “nature giving back to nature” as the stone wool is fully recyclable as even in its wet waste could be made into briquettes to be put back into the manufacturing process.

It was acknowledged that while the product used up a lot of energy, that of a mini volcano (about 1500 degrees C to melt the stones) to produce stone wool, the long-term benefits of ROCKWOOL in saving energy and reduce carbon emissions to the environment was about 5000 times more. It can withstand 1200 degrees C of heat and is thus fire resistant. As a result, in the case of a fire it gives more time for occupants to escape to safety.

The challenge today is the need to feed the ever- increasing consumption appetites of energy in the face of urbanisation, and its ensuing increase in population, and to find new sources of clean energy. One of the ways was to reduce the need is by conservation i.e by reducing energy usage in homes, and office and factory buildings. In tropical countries at least, about 44.2 % of energy costs is on cooling. One of the main answers to this is to have roof insulation to reduce the heat transfer into the home, thus cutting down on prolonged cooling and/or a greater rate of cooling. In most cases insulation of rooftops can cut down energy consumption by 23%-30% and temperature intensity from 2-5 degrees C.

One other important quality of ROCKWOOL insulation is that it is water repellent. It was demonstrated that water does not get absorbed into the insulation, so that it would not get waterlogged which could contribute to the collapse of the ceiling. ROCKWOOL stone wool is inorganic and contains no nutrition substance, so it will not be attacked by microorganisms and will not rot or does not attract vermin., thus contributing to its robustness in the long term.

But what was in store for the 17 visitors from Kristus Aman? Various ranges of discounts were made available if they were to order through the Lazada online shopping portal, and the validity period of this offer was for a month. Depending on the area to be covered, it would cost from RM2500-3000 for an average terrace house with this discount. This amount however does not include installation costs.

The KA parishioners found the presentation informative and enlightening. We would like to record our appreciation to ROCKWOOL for accommodating us on their weekend. Special thanks go to Diana Ang, Azanie Azmi, Michael Chua, Andy Goh, Jane Ooi and Harvinder Singh for spending time with us and sharing information on the product they believed in.