Insulation·extruded polystyrene 300mm
extruded polystyrene · 300mm
R 10.71
U 0.092 W/m²·K

extruded polystyrene, 300 mm — R 10.71

300 mm divided by a conductivity of 0.028 gives an R-value of 10.71. The U-value is 0.092, so a square metre leaks 1.84 W across a 20-degree difference.

Standards it meets

  • passive house 0.15
  • Korean central-region wall 0.17
  • loose standard 0.30
Material
extruded polystyrene
Thickness
300 mm
Thermal conductivity
0.028 W/m·K
Thermal resistance
10.71 m²·K/W
U-value
0.092 W/m²·K
Heat lost per square metre
1.84 W
As concrete
17.14 m

Thickness for the same performance

This is the number that shows what insulation is worth. Matching 100 mm of XPS with concrete alone would take 5.7 metres of it. No one builds a wall like that — which is why a concrete building only gets warm once a thin layer of insulation is added.

  • vacuum panel75 mm
  • phenolic foam214 mm
  • rigid polyurethane246 mm
  • graphite EPS332 mm
  • white EPS386 mm
  • glass wool396 mm
  • mineral wool429 mm
  • cellulose450 mm
  • timber1393 mm
  • plasterboard1929 mm
  • concrete17143 mm

Nearby cells

Same material, other thicknesses

Same thickness, other materials

How to read this

  • Thermal resistance is the thickness in metres divided by the conductivity. Bigger is better.
  • The U-value adds 0.17 of surface resistance and then flips the total. Smaller is better.
  • Resistances add across layers, so a whole wall is the sum of its parts.
  • Conductivity varies by product; the values here are typical for the material.

Frequently asked questions

Q. What is the R-value of 300 mm of extruded polystyrene?

10.71 — 300 mm in metres divided by a conductivity of 0.028.

Q. And the U-value?

0.092. That is 10.88 — the resistance plus 0.17 of surface — turned upside down, and a square metre leaks 1.84 W across 20 degrees.

Q. How much concrete would match it?

17.14 metres.

Q. Which standards does it meet?

At 0.092 it clears 3 of them.