My first Publication Arup_BuildingDesign2020_v2 | Page 16

Phase Change Materials store and release
waste heat when changing state from liquid to
solid at certain temperatures; used extensively
to enhance the performance of automotive
batteries, the technology has significant
implications for the AEC industry.
PCMs are used throughout the building
industry for effective passive reduction of
heating and cooling loads. Their ductile and
reconfigurable nature make them a natural
fit for building design applications, allowing
designers to create structures where waste
heat management is built into the fundamental
elements of a design. PCM technology is
starting to appear in a number of products
marketed to the AEC industry, among
them BioPCM mats, GlassX glazing, and
ThermalCORE drywall.
Location / Business: Oberhausen, Germany.
Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental,
Safety and Energy Technology UMSICHT for
commercial use.
One area of particular innovation is façade design, where
electrochromic and thermochromic glass, building-integrated
photovoltaics and specialised coatings are enabling innovative
solutions for the generation, storage and transfer of energy.
The growing prevalence of microelectronics and synthetic
composites indicates a shift in the way the industry conceives
of materials and their function; increasingly, ‘materials’
are highly complex systems of miniaturised or responsive
elements, functioning at ever smaller scales and with an ever-
increasing degree of seamlessness.
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Case Study: Low Emissivity Insulation
Case Study: Phase Change Materials from Automotive Industry
Aerogels are a synthetic porous material
which replace the liquid components of a gel
with an inert gas. The resulting solid, 96% air,
is among the lightest, most soundproof, least
thermally conductive materials in existence.
Windows present a problem for building
designers; they provide critical natural light
but can be the weak link with regards to
heat loss, solar gain and acoustics. Aerogel-
insulated glazing could be a transformative
technology for building design, allowing
unprecedented façade and window
arrangements and significant improvements in
emissions control.
Location / Business: Richmond, CA.
Thermalux for commercial use.
Processes and technologies from other industries
continue to drive innovation in building design. One example
is phase-change material, first developed for the automotive
industry, which stands to revolutionise thermal energy
handling in buildings. As ‘smart’ technologies become
ubiquitous, data-driven intelligence and high physical
performance will align in the development of increasingly
connected, information-rich, and efficient materials.
Building Design 2020
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