Citation
Alonso Pastor, Luis Alberto and Lauret Aguirregabiria, Benito and Alonso Amo, Fernando
(2010).
A New Envelope with Highly Energy-Efficient Insulation.
In: "5th Global Insulation Conference and Exhibition 2010", 04/10/2010 - 05/10/2010, Londres, UK.
Abstract
This article examines, from the insulation viewpoint, a new lightweight, slim, high energy efficient, lighttransmitting
envelope system, providing for seamless, free-form designs for use in architectural projects.
The research was based on envelope components already existing on the market, especially components
implemented with granular silica gel insulation, as this is the most effective translucent thermal insulation
there is today. The tests run on these materials revealed that there is no single component that has
all the features required of the new envelope model. However, some do have properties that could be
exploited to genérate this envelope, namely, the vacuum chamber of the VIP panels, the monolithic aerogel
used as insulation in some prototypes, and the reinforced polyester barriers. By combining these three
design components - the high-performance thermal insulation of the vacuum chamber, combined with
monolithic silica gel insulation and the free-form design potential provided by materials like reinforced
polyester and epoxy resins-, we have been able to define and test a new, variable geometry, envelope
insulation system with excellent energy-saving levéis.