# XPS Insulation in Green Buildings

> XPS insulation is a rigid extruded polystyrene foam board for terraces and cavity walls. See a Chennai terrace example and how installation is recorded.

Canonical: https://superwise.site/glossary/xps-insulation/
Last updated: 2026-11-01

A rigid closed-cell foam board laid on terraces and walls to cut heat gain and resist water.

## What is XPS Insulation (Extruded Polystyrene)?

XPS insulation is a rigid foam board made of extruded polystyrene, recognisable by its smooth surface and its blue or pink colour. Its closed-cell structure resists water and gives a low [U-value](https://superwise.site/glossary/u-value-thermal/). In premium [green buildings](https://superwise.site/glossary/green-building/), XPS boards are laid over roof terraces and in exterior cavity walls to reduce the solar heat that passes into the concrete structure.

## Practical example

To earn a Platinum green building rating in hot, humid Chennai, the architect rejects cheap fibreglass insulation and specifies a 50 mm layer of rigid XPS insulation directly under the final terrace tiles. The dense blue foam stops much of the tropical heat from reaching the concrete roof slab and lowers the air conditioning load of the top-floor apartments.

## In SuperWise

In SuperWise XPS boards arrive on a [material delivery challan](https://superwise.site/glossary/material-delivery-challan/) against a purchase order line, with photos of the material and a [QC](https://superwise.site/glossary/quality-assurance-quality-control/) status. The laying task can carry a finish checklist with photo and signature fields. With the checklist enforced, the task cannot be marked complete until it is approved, so photos of the installed boards are on record when the task closes.

[Material management](https://superwise.site/features/material-management/)

## Related terms

- [Green Building (IGBC / GRIHA)](https://superwise.site/glossary/green-building/)
- [U-Value (Thermal Transmittance)](https://superwise.site/glossary/u-value-thermal/)
- [Material Delivery Challan (MDC / GRN)](https://superwise.site/glossary/material-delivery-challan/)

## Related
- [Green Building (IGBC / GRIHA)](https://superwise.site/glossary/green-building/)
- [U-Value (Thermal Transmittance)](https://superwise.site/glossary/u-value-thermal/)
- [Material Delivery Challan (MDC / GRN)](https://superwise.site/glossary/material-delivery-challan/)
- [Material management](https://superwise.site/features/material-management/)