Cold Insulation Materials Market Embraces Growth with Rising Energy Efficiency Demands and Smart Innovations

Cold Insulation Materials Market Size and Forecast 2025 to 2034

The global cold insulation materials market size was calculated at USD 7.32 billion in 2024, and is projected to hit around USD 7.68 billion by 2025, and is anticipated to reach around USD 11.81 billion by 2034, growing at a solid CAGR of 4.90% over the forecast period 2025 to 2034. The key drivers of the cold insulation materials market are the increasing demand for energy efficiency, technological improvement, expansions in industrial applications, and increasing construction processes.

Cold Insulation Materials Market Key Takeaways

• In terms of revenue, the market is valued at $7.68 billion in 2025.
• It is projected to reach $11.81 billion by 2034.
• The market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.90% from 2025 to 2034.
• Asia Pacific led the global cold insulation materials market in 2023.
• North America is anticipated to grow notably in the market during the forecast period.
• By material, the fiberglass segment accounted for the biggest share of the market in 2024.
• By material, the polyurethane foam segment is expected to witness significant growth in the market during the forecast period.
• By application, the HVAC segment held the biggest share of the market in 2024.
• By application, the chemicals segment is expected to grow significantly in the market during the forecast period.
• By insulation type, the fibrous segment dominated the market in 2024.

How is AI Changing the Cold Insulation Materials Market?

AI also provides more than cost-effectiveness to insulation production in the cold insulation materials market. The production line is automated by artificial intelligence, so there's no need for periodic checks and the hiring of additional personnel. AI employs intelligent computations that can determine the right combination of chemicals to be used in the production of Insulation to deliver a certain efficiency value. Introducing AI in insulation production will enable 24/7 working hence reducing insulation costs and increasing production.

As the economy grows and people’s quality of life advances, people require a better living environment to a greater extent. To achieve the human goal of a proper indoor climate, modern architecture has been striving to upgrade the indoor climate through artificial intelligent thermal insulation design.

Market Overview

Cold insulation materials provide products or substances capable of preventing heat convection at places that require low temperatures to be maintained. These insulation materials are designed to reduce conductive heat transfer, thus enhancing a controlled and stable cold environment. These insulation materials help to maintain a controlled and stable cold environment. The cold insulation materials market products are employed for the cold insulation of air conditioning piping systems, cold room systems, clean rooms, and freezing chambers in the food processing industry, pharmaceutical companies, and hospitals.

Different Types of Cold Insulation Materials

Cold Insulation Materials Market Growth Factors

• A rise in energy costs and increasing environmental concerns is expected to drive the cold insulation materials market.
• Increasing demand in developing economies drives the growth of the market.
• Growing industrial applications are expected to boost the market.

Market Scope

Market Dynamics

Drivers

Rising energy costs and increasing environmental concerns

The rising energy costs and increasing environmental concerns contribute to the growth of the cold insulation materials market. Energy cost concerns have become a major issue in developed countries, and the indications to developing countries show that energy is expensive. The role of insulation is to provide a thermal resistance that reduces the flow of heat through a building. During the warmer months, the external temperatures are higher than desired inside, and insulation maintains the temperature within a building by preventing heat.

The advantages of insulation to buildings include a comfortable thermal environment, minimized heat loss and energy usage, low energy bills, enhanced environment and climatic conditions through conservation of energy as well as checking on fluctuating daily temperature inside the building during summer.

EPA estimated that homeowners can save an average of 15% on heating and cooling costs (or an average of 11% on total energy costs) by air sealing their homes and adding insulation in attics, floors over crawl spaces, and accessible basement rim joists.

Rising applications in cold chain and refrigeration systems

Cold chain pharmaceutical and food products can transported through an appropriate infrastructure like adequate packing material to regulate the temperature during the transportation process, starting from manufacturing to consumption. This, in turn, enhances the use of insulating packaging materials, especially for heat-sensitive products.

Cold insulating materials are designed for low temperatures and include refrigeration systems, cryogenic storage tanks, cold storage, and air conditioning systems. They help to avoid thermal influx from the external environment and to keep the temperature within the system as low as was set. The cold insulation materials market services are used in refrigeration systems and other low-temperature applications to prevent heat gain and maintain the desired temperature. Cold insulation is used in the food processing sector, drug distribution, and transport, among other fields.

Restraint

High investment and installation costs

High investment and installation costs are the major challenges that hinder the growth of the cold insulation materials market. New-generation insulating materials that are effective thermally demand a high initial cost. That can prove to be challenging for several businesses, particularly small- to medium-sized enterprises or organizations in sectors where costs are considered a critical factor. Also, the application of special types of insulating materials has complicated processes, and the costs of labor are relatively high, adding up to the total cost of ownership.

Opportunity

Increasing construction activities

The rising commercial building and construction activities are an opportunity for the growth of the cold insulation materials market. Commercial insulation plays a crucial role in minimizing heat flow between the interior and exterior of a building. The enhanced energy conservation will involve a substantial reduction of energy costs for heating and cooling.

By insulating a house, one can reduce the heat loss in buildings in cold weather or climates and reduce the heat surplus in warmer weather or climate. Cold insulation materials are being used more frequently in the building and construction details of floor and wall constructions, roofs/ceilings for new building constructions, and for retrofitting existing building constructions to keep the required temperature inside the building.

According to the article published by the United States Census Bureau, Total U.S. construction spending reached USD 486 billion in Q1 2025, an increase of 3% from USD 472 billion in Q1 2024. Private construction spending up 2% year-over-year to USD 384 billion, with residential up 3% to USD 205 billion.

Material Insights

The fiberglass segment accounted for the biggest share of the cold insulation materials market in 2023. Fiberglass insulation functions by capturing air trapped in its fibers reducing the rate of transfer of heat between the interior and the exterior spaces of the building. This makes it effective to keep the home or office warm in the winter and cool in the summer. This material is easily available and also offers good thermal insulation for cold climates, common use is in the form of a blanket, board, or pre-fabricated pipe section.

• In June 2022, Owens and Pultron agreed to join hands to manufacture fiberglass rebar.

The polyurethane foam segment is expected to witness significant growth in the cold insulation materials market during the forecast period. Polyurethane is a thermoset foam insulation material that possesses a low-conductivity gas within its cellular structure. Polyurethane rigid foam insulation can be utilized in construction and building applications. Due to its low thermal conductivity, lightweight, and insulating capability against heat, cold as well as sound it is used by most businesses. Also, it is accessible to install compared to other forms of roofing since it is cheap to install. Therefore, due to the enhanced characteristic of polyurethane foam over other materials.

• In May 2022, Huntsman, partnered with BRUGG Pipes, unveiled a new generation polyurethane foam system that combines effective insulation with the ability to produce highly flexible and thermally efficient.

Application Insights

The HVAC segment held the biggest share of the cold insulation materials market in 2024. Effective insulation helps ensure the correct operating temperatures are achieved throughout a system, ranging from piping to air conditioning insulation. Insulating HVAC systems improves efficiency, reduces carbon emissions, and cuts operating costs. It helps keep indoor temperatures stable with minimum energy consumption. HVAC insulation is useful for systems on large-scale commercial and residential buildings, offices, apartment houses, airports, hospitals, commercial and industrial warehouses, and many other industries.

• In May 2024, Knauf Insulation announced the launch of its new HVAC fiberglass insulation product. This product line is the first of its kind to be CERTIFIED asthma & allergy friendly and the only HVAC fiberglass insulation line that is formaldehyde-free.
• The U.S. Department of Energy stated that heating and cooling consumes as much as 50-70% of the energy consumed by a typical U.S. home.

The chemicals segment is expected to grow significantly in the cold insulation materials market during the forecast period. Insulation works, maintenance, and modification services within the chemical and petrochemical industry. Insulation is either material or system that possesses the capability of retarding the flow of heat or sound. Insulation plays a major role in conserving the heat energy of a refinery or process plant.

Insulation Type Insights

The fibrous segment dominated the cold insulation materials market in 2024. Fibrous insulation functions by trapping air inside the fibers and does not allow heat to transfer through convection. Fibrous materials are usually flexible but can be made rigid, utilizing additives, into desired shapes. Furthermore, because of their structure, fibrous materials exhibit good acoustic insulation and are hence used in sound absorption. Examples of this are fiberglass, mineral wool, plastic fiber or also bubbles of considerable size. Fibrous insulations such as fiberglass are used for industrial pipe and tank insulation wraps as well as insulation blankets.

Regional Insights

Asia Pacific led the global cold insulation materials market in 2024. The factors boosting the growth of cold insulation materials are the growth of the automotive industry, construction, and telecommunication industries by Industrialization and digitization. Additionally, insulation material has been integrated majorly by residential and non-residential construction manufacturers because of the increasing usage due to climate change, less energy consumption required, and soundproof buildings.

There has been an increase in the size of the transportation industry due to industrialization. The automotive & telecommunication industries of China, Japan, and India have grown significantly in terms of both growth and demand and this has in turn positively influenced the market of insulation materials in this region.

• Media Fusion and Crain Communications jointly announced the Sustainable Polyurethane & Foam Expo Show, India’s first sustainable event scheduled to be held at NESCO, Bombay Exhibition Center in December 2024.

North America is anticipated to grow notably in the cold insulation materials market during the forecast period. The increase in technological growth is enabling the release of efficient, high-performance, and eco-friendly insulation materials that meet the set regulations and sustainability standards. The United States and Canada's demand for insulating materials for various industries, such as pharmaceuticals, food and beverages, petrochemical industries, and ventilation and air conditioning systems, is increasing.

• In July 2023, Kingspan Insulated Panels North America announced QuadCore Technology on the panel used in cold storage applications.
• In December 2023, Saint-Gobain reached an agreement with SOPREMA for the sale of a majority stake in its polyisocyanurate insulation (PIR) activity in the United Kingdom under the Celotex brand.

In addition, the surge in construction activities is expected to boost the market’s revenue in the region during the forecast period. For instance, according to the article published in June 2024, there are approximately 745,000 construction businesses in the U.S. as of 2023. In 2023, the construction industry accounted for 4.3% of the U.S. GDP. The states of California, Florida, and New York boast the largest number of construction businesses in the U.S., with approximately 85,000, 65,000, and 50,000 businesses, respectively.

Cold Insulation Materials Market Companies

• Owens Corning
• Saint-Gobain
• Knauf Insulation
• Rockwool
• Armacell
• Kingspan Group
• BASF SE

Segments Covered in the Report

By Material

• Fiberglass
• Polyurethane Foam
• Polystyrene Foam
• Phenolic Foam
• Others

By Application

• HVAC
• Chemicals
• Oil & Gas
• Refrigeration
• Others

By Insulation Type

• Fibrous
• Cellular
• Granular
• Others

By Region

• North America
• Asia Pacific
• Europe
• Latin America
• Middle East & Africa