News
Pilkington glazing systems and thermal insulations solutions for buildings
Pilkington is a leading company in UK and Ireland in the production of glass for windows and for facades as well as for the thermal insulation of homes and buildings.
The Pilkington Planar™ structural glazing system provides a flush glass surface by utilising stainless steel fittings housed in countersunk holes to fix the glass facade back to the structure instead of using the more conventional framed systems. With its unrivalled stability and safety, this innovative product allows architects to build entire structures out of glass, enabling design flexibility to create bright and highly attractive working environments, with more light and a greater feeling of space.
There are a number of products available which are designed to improve the thermal insulation of homes. However, without doubt the most well-known energy-efficient glazing product is Pilkington K Glass™. This unique energy-efficient glass is still one of the UK’s best-selling low-emissivity glass products and can be used in combination with Pilkington Optiwhite™ to make up the Pilkington energiKare™ double glazing units. Each glass type conveys energy-saving properties to the thermally insulated glass unit.
Description of the Pilkington products Planar™, Profilit™, K Glass™, Optiwhite™, energiKare™, Spacia™, Optitherm™ Range are available in the windows category of the database.
Multilayer aerogel board technology
The BEEM-UP project has developed and deployed a multidimensional methodology within the whole process of refurbishment where building owners, technology providers, construction companies and researchers collaborate to demonstrate successful methods for deep retrofit with the potential for large-scale replication.
A multilayer aerogel board has been developed by BASF for facades insulation under BEEM-UP project. The prototype is thinner than standard EPS and has high fire resistance. This solution can be used as a new exterior insulation system or as a repair system for damaged and already existent insulation systems.Aerogel solutions are used mainly in new eco-buildings for the time being. The advantage is that although the thickness of the insulation. consists in a couple of centimetre, the k-values are in order of 0,06 W/m2K and 0,14 W/m2K. This product is a promising niche within a highly competitive market.
The BEEM-UP project has demonstrated that reducing the energy consumption by more than 75% through deep energy refurbishment is indeed feasible in the long term. BEEM-UP project has been inserted in the promising technologies by the European Construction Technology Platform (ECTP).
More information about the multilayer aerogel board is available in EffiBUILDING (BASF Aerogel).
A modified lamp accomodates a IAQ sensor prototype
A prototype unit for measuring the indoor air quality (IAQ) has been developed by CSP, a R&D research center based in Italy. All sensors are integrated on a customized board and measurement are sent to a server using WiFi connection. A lamp has been suitably modified to accommodate inside the sensors and electronic boards.
The “lamp” measures Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and formaldehyde (CH2O) levels and get a feedback lighting in different colors (green for clean air, yellow for warning level, red for polluted air). Other physical parameters are acquired such as temperature, humidity and illuminance.
Further information are available in the sensor category.
Trina Solar: frameless solar module with a double layer of glass
Trina Solar is a global leader in photovoltaic modules, solutions and services. Founded in 1997 and listed on the New York Stock Exchange since 2006, Trina Solar today drives smart energy together with installers, distributors, utilities and developers worldwide.
Trina Solar has introduced a first-of-kind, frameless solar module with a double layer of glass. The heat-strengthened dual-glass design of the DUOMAX 72-cell and 60-cell ensures high performance and power yields even in harsh environments with intense humidity and irradiance levels. DUOMAX is built to withstand harsh-elements and is less susceptible to micro-cracking, module warping, UV aging and corrosion from sand, acid, alkali and salt mist.
Descriptions of DUOMAX Deg 5, Deg 14, Deg 14.40, Peg 5, Peg 14, and Peg 14.40 double layer of glass modules are available in the EffiBUILDING PV modules category.
HeliaFilm® – Patented multilayer stack architecture
Heliatek is one of the leading manufacturer of energy generating solar films. The technology is based on carbon materials deposited in a unique roll-to-roll vacuum deposition process. The properties of the ultrathin organic photovoltaic film result in some truly unique product features of HeliaFilm®.
Heliatek’s competitive advantage are the fundamental patents covering the production of multilayer organic solar cells with doped transport layers. Using this proprietary architecture, it is possible to absorb a broad solar spectrum, using extremely thin layers. The active layers are only around 250 nm thin. The manufacturing process is completely free of toxic materials and rare earth elements enabling a scale-up without any restrictions.
Full HeliaFilm® technical description is available in the PV modules category.
Kalzip® AluPlusSolar: New Appearance for Solar Architecture
The new Kalzip AluPlusSolar framed panels enable roof-integrated renewable energy production using photovoltaics and maximum creativity for challenging architectural projects.The flexible and extremely tough solar film can be applied permanently to straight, convex, or concave Kalzip aluminum framed panels depending on the shape of the roof. Typical designs such as pent and barrel roofs as well as customized roof shapes are possible.
Combining thin-film solar modules with the properties of Kalzip framed panels ensures architects and planners of photovoltaic systems a maximum of design freedom as well as efficient use of the sun's energy. Modules consist of a combination of extremely tough thin-film amorphous silicon (a-Si) modules with aluminum tracks, which can be installed on any metal roof without penetrating the roof. The lightweight module units are ideal for all roof shapes and afford planners and architects of photovoltaic systems maximum design freedom.
More information about Kalzip AluPlusSolar and Kalzip SolarClad are available in the PV modules category.
RELIGHT: Prototype of hybrid organic photovoltaic cell
ENEA, FOS and SESMAT realized prototypes of hybrid organic photovoltaic devices through spin-coating and innovative printing processes. It is believed that the screen printing technique is able to produce low cost devices in large volumes, even when the roll-to-roll configuration is employed, thus opening the possibility to a solid, low cost production of the devices. In the future, they can be produced on large scale and can enter in markets that do increasingly situate themselves in the field of photovoltaic.
ENEA, FOS and SESMAT are partners of TRIPODE, a public-private laboratory active on the development of research technologies for the integration of polymers in electronic devices. More information about the Relight project prototype are available in the PV modules category of EffiBUILDING.
SURANA SOLAR: high innovative PV modules
Surana Solar Limited is part of the Surana Group an Indian leading industrial company active in the areas of solar & wind power, telecommunications, metal processing and infrastructure.
The main peculiarity of the Surana solar photovoltaic modules are the cells which are embedded in highly transparent EVA, covered by tempered glass and surrounded by a strong aluminum frame. SVL 0280P (Polycristalline), SVL-M160 (Monocrystalline) and SVL – 60105 (Thin Film) are presented in the database with all technical data
New Database Energy Performance Buildings
The European Commission has launched a new database on the EU's building stock to monitor the energy performance of buildings across Europe. The database – called the EU Building Stock Observatory – provides information on buildings' characteristics including their construction period, energy use, onsite renewable energy and renovation rates.
The Observatory tracks energy performance levels in buildings in individual EU countries and the EU as a whole; different energy certification schemes and how they are implemented; and energy poverty levels across the EU.
The buildings sector accounts for 40% of Europe's energy consumption, and some two-thirds of European buildings were built before energy performance standards even existed.
EU Building Stock Observatory is a potential tool that together with EffiBUILDING can provide a clear overview of the current trends in the energy efficiency of buildings.
Source: https://ec.europa.eu/energy/en/news/commission-launches-new-database-energy-performance-buildings
PolyArch – Transferring polymer technology into the field of building technology
Polymer technologies and especially responsive liquid crystal networks can improve the daylight management capabilities of building envelopes by making it adaptive on the Nano scale.
A similar technology as used in this project is widely applied in LCD screens today but the integration into building technology poses many challenges.
To explore the possibilities of transferring polymer technologies into the field of building technology, an interdisciplinary research team has been established under the PolyArch project, covering the scientific areas of facades design and building physics on one side and chemical engineering on the other.
Detailed information about this innovative project are available in the façade category of the database.