Fostering Knowledge and Applications of New Aerogel Superinsulation in Architecture and Construction

ended

Old, poorly insulated buildings represent a tremendous potential for saving energy in Europe. Aerogel building materials are characterized by very low thermal conductivities and ideal physical properties in building applications both in retrofits and new constructions. While several products have been developed and become commercially available in the last decade, knowledge with building professionals - such as architects, building designers, engineers and owners on their successful practical application in different contexts is still sparse. This hinders the implementation of available solutions as well as the development of new ones based on aerogels, which have the potential to play a significant role in the reduction of energy consumption in buildings and thus in meeting EU climate and energy goals. It is hence proposed, in a first work package (WP1), to document and analyse the usage of aerogel building materials in Switzerland and the EU by studying and measurement of realised retrofits and applications in new buildings. This data and its analysis will be made available within an online data base. In the second and third part will be bring unique new combinations of aerogel composite materials for architecture and construction (WP2) and new aerogel insulation for cavity walls of existing buildings (WP3). Subsequently (WP4) by studying building applications and their performance in terms of energy and costs, guidelines for the use of aerogel building materials will be developed, verified by simulation and published. For the first time building professionals will have free access to a comprehensive and unbiased body of knowledge detailing where and how aerogel building materials can be used. Crucial to the proposed work is its multidisciplinary approach which joins the architectural expertise of the researcher with the knowledge and experience of the hosting laboratory in material development, which constitutes an ideal framework for truly innovative research.