KELOWNA — Developer Wilden Group used hemp to insulate a five-bedroom, 3.5-bathroom, net-zero-ready home in a master-planned community near Kelowna. …CEO Karin Eger-Blenk wanted to test the use of hemp as an insulation material because it lowers the carbon footprint of a structure. …A high-performance, carbon-negative material, hemp boosts thermal efficiency, enhances soundproofing, and improves indoor air quality. Unlike traditional insulation, it is non-allergenic, low in VOCs, and free from synthetic toxins. …However, the use of hemp for insulation posed some practical challenges, and there was a learning curve due to the unfamiliar properties of the hemp batts, notes Eger-Blenk. …“For the Kelowna home, the hemp was about $3 more per square foot of wall compared to fibreglass. Using fibreglass would have been $10,000 cheaper.