Turkey’s Thermal Insulation Market and TS 8825 Regulations
Summary
TS 825 was introduced to improve building energy efficiency and reduce heat losses through better thermal insulation.
TS 825:2024, effective from 1 April 2025, expanded climate zones to six and incorporated both heating and cooling requirements.
Stricter requirements are expected to increase insulation consumption per m² of building envelope.
Demand is expected to benefit EPS, XPS, glass wool, and stone wool.
Glass wool and stone wool have gained market share, positioning them for further adoption as TS 825 requirements tighten.
Background
TS 825 (Thermal Insulation Requirements for Buildings) is Türkiye’s national standard governing the thermal insulation and energy-performance requirements of buildings. It was developed by the Turkish Standards Institution (TSE) and has evolved through several revisions as Türkiye has strengthened its building-energy-efficiency requirements.
Timeline
1989
The first TS 825 standard was introduced, establishing basic thermal-insulation requirements for buildings.
1998
A major revision introduced a more systematic approach to calculating building heating-energy requirements and divided Türkiye into four climatic zones.
1999–2000
TS 825 became mandatory. The Thermal Insulation Regulation for Buildings was published in 2000, making compliance compulsory for new buildings.
2008
The standard was revised to strengthen requirements for new
buildings and remained the principal mandatory thermal-insulation framework for many years.
2024/2025
The latest major revision, TS 825:2024, replaced the 2008 version and became mandatory on 1 April 2025.
The fundamental purpose of TS 825 is to reduce energy consumption in buildings by limiting heat losses and improving the thermal performance of the building envelope. Historically, heating represented a major component of building energy demand in Türkiye, making wall, roof, floor and window insulation important for reducing fuel consumption.
The latest revision expands this objective further. It establishes methods for calculating both net heating and net cooling energy requirements and sets maximum permissible heating and cooling energy losses/gains.
Recent Mandates
Parameter | 2025 Mandate / Requirement | Implication for Thermal Insulation Market |
Climate Zones | Increased from 4 to 6 climate zones | More region-specific insulation requirements and differentiation in material demand. |
Insulation Thickness | Required insulation thicknesses were revised according to climate and building conditions. | Generally, it increases insulation material consumption per m² where higher thermal resistance is required. |
Heating Performance | Buildings must meet prescribed limits for net heating energy demand and heat losses. | Supports demand for higher-performing wall, roof, floor, and other envelope insulation. |
Cooling Performance | Cooling energy requirements are incorporated into the calculations. | Creates additional insulation requirements in warmer regions, not only cold-weather applications. |
Building Types | Applies broadly to residential, office, school, hospital, hotel, commercial, industrial, and other conditioned buildings | Expands the regulatory coverage across major construction segments. |
Thermal Insulation Report | Designers must prepare calculations/reports demonstrating compliance with TS 825. | Makes insulation compliance an integral part of the building-permit process. |
Building Permit | Non-compliant projects cannot obtain a construction permit. | Strengthens regulatory enforcement and makes insulation demand less discretionary. |
Energy-Saving Target | Government estimates around 25% lower energy bills for compliant buildings, without changing comfort conditions. | Strengthens the policy rationale for higher insulation requirements. |
Annual energy saving | Estimated 2.5 TWh annual energy saving from newly constructed buildings | Indicates the expected national-scale impact of the regulation. |
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Effect of TS 825 Regulations
Historically, TS 825 has been an important regulatory driver for thermal insulation demand in Türkiye, particularly since the Thermal Insulation Regulation for Buildings introduced mandatory insulation requirements in 2000. The 1998 revision of TS 825 established a more systematic approach to calculating building heating requirements, while the 2000 regulation made thermal insulation compulsory for newly constructed buildings, creating a regulatory baseline for the use of insulation materials in building envelopes. The 2008 revision further strengthened the framework by requiring insulation projects and compliance with TS 825 calculations, with requirements differentiated across four climate zones and insulation thickness determined according to calculated thermal performance. These successive mandates supported the growth of demand for products such as EPS, XPS, stone wool, glass wool and PUR/PIR, as insulation became an integral part of new-building design rather than an optional construction feature.
The introduction of the Energy Performance of Buildings Regulation in 2008 further reinforced this trend by linking building design to energy performance and thermal insulation requirements. Thus, before the latest 2025 revision, the historical effect of TS 825 was primarily to formalize and progressively increase the penetration of thermal insulation in new construction while
creating a more predictable regulatory demand base for insulation manufacturers.
Conclusion
Chart: Sales Volume of Turkey’s Thermal Insulation Products
Insulation consumption per m² of building envelope is expected to increase, supporting demand for EPS, XPS, glass wool, and rock/mineral wool. However, the adaptation of thermal insulation products further depends upon the market conditions, product properties, production figures, demand from the downstream industries, and a number of other varied factors. The chart above, however, showcases a strong inclination of the market towards glass wool and stone wool, as its sales volumes and overall market share in the region have been expanding for quite a while. This mandate is further expected to speed up the adoption of these materials in the foreseeable future.
For more information, please contact ial@brggroup.com
IAL Consultants (A Division of BRG Enterprise Solutions Ltd)
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