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A new generation of construction materials could soon allow
buildings to generate energy using their walls and roofs,
according to one of the world's largest providers of building
materials and insulation.
Kingspan
has revealed that its panels division, which specialises in
highly insulated metal panels for buildings, is working on
a variety of new products designed to integrate renewable
energy technologies - such as solar cells and heat pumps -
directly into building materials.
Mark Harris, divisional building technology director at the
company, said the long-term goal was to make the "external
envelope the renewable power plant of the building" - ensuring
that walls and roofs not only provide insulation, but also
generate heat and electricity.
The company recently launched the new EnergiPanel,
which uses small grooves in the panel to transfer heat from
the sun up the side of a wall and into the building. Harris
said that it was now investigating adding a heat pump system
to the technology to help store the heat for use overnight.
"The metal casing of a building can be heated to about 30
degrees even in winter, so it makes sense to try to use that
heat."
Similarly, Kingspan's panels division is working with the
company's solar panels division to integrate photovoltaic
solar cells into building panels to generate electricity,
as well as heat from the entire building envelope. Harris
said that prototypes of the technology could be completed
as early as this year.
However, he warned that green building materials would struggle
to break into the mainstream without greater levels of government
support and urged the UK Treasury to provide new financing
mechanisms to support companies looking to improve the energy
efficiency of their buildings in the forthcoming budgets.
"Businesses understand the benefits of energy efficiency,
but they are struggling to find the up-front money needed
to fund projects" - he explained - adding that there were
a number of measures the government could adopt to tackle
financing issues, such as expanding the Salix
Finance interest-free loan scheme which helps public
sector bodies pay for energy-efficiency projects to cover
the private sector.
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