Abstract
Materials advances could help to reduce the energy and environmental impacts of buildings. Globally, buildings use about 20% of primary energy and account for 20% of atmospheric emissions. Building energy consumption emanates from a variety of sources, some of which are related to the building envelope or fabric, some to the equipment in the building, and some to both. Opportunities for reducing energy use in buildings through innovative materials are therefore numerous, but there is no one system, component, or material whose improvement alone can solve the building energy problem. Many of the loads in a building are interactive, and this complicates cost/benefit analysis for new materials, components, and systems. Moreover, components and materials for buildings must meet stringent durability and cost/performance criteria to last the long service lifetimes of buildings and compete successfully in the marketplace.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
International Energy Outlook 2007 [Report DOE/EIA-0484(2007), Energy Information Administration, U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, DC, 2007]; www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/ieo/ (accessed January 2008).
Coal Facts 2006 (World Coal Institute, London, September 2006).
Table 8 in World Recoverable Coal Reserves as of January 1, 2003 (Report DOE/EIA-0484(2007), Energy Information Administration, U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, DC, May 2007; www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/ieo/pdf/coal_tables.pdf) (accessed January 2008).
R. Judkoff, Calculations for this paper (National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO, August 2007).
Greenhouse Gases, Climate Change and Energy (Energy Information Administration, U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, DC, November 2003).
2006 Building Energy Data Book (Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, DC, September 2006).
C. Christensen, R. Anderson, S. Horowitz, A. Courtney, J. Spencer, BEopt™ Software for Building Energy Optimization: Features and Capabilities (Report TP-550-39929, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO, 2006).
2005 ASHRAE Handbook—Fundamentals (ASHRAE, Atlanta, GA, 2005).
D.K. Benson, T.F. Potter, “Compact Vacuum Insulation,” U.S. Patent 5,157,893; NRELAcc. No. 13271 (October 27,1992).
B.T. Griffith, D. Arasteh, Advanced Insulations for Refrigerator/Freezers: The Potential for New Shell Designs Incorporating Polymer Barrier Constructions (Report LBNL-33376, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 1992).
H. Kunzel, T. Grosskinsky, Vapor Barrier for Use in the Heat Insulation of Buildings. U.S. Patent 6,808,772 B2, 2004.
J.A. Haines, Infrared Reflective Wall Paint. U.S. Patent 7,157,112, 2007 (and associated art).
M. Telkes, “Phase Change Thermal Storage Materials with Crust Forming Stabilizers,” U.S. Patent 4,187,189 (1980).
D. Buddhi, A Selected List of References in Twentieth Century (1900–1999) on Phase Change Materials and Latent Heat Energy Storage Systems (Thermal Energy Storage Laboratory, School of Energy and Environmental Studies, Devi Ahilya University, Indore, India).
F. Pichot, S. Ferrere, R.J. Pitts, B.A. Gregg, J. Electrochem. Soc. 146 (11), 4324 (1999); NREL Report JA-590-26316.
D.K. Benson, C.E. Tracy, G.J. Jorgensen, Evacuated Window Glazing Research and Development: A Progress Report (Report PR-255-2578, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO, 1984).
J. Carmody, S. Selkowitz, E. Lee, D. Arasteh, T. Willmert, Window Systems for High Performance Buildings (W.W. Norton, New York, 2004).
J.D. Burch, NREL Report CP-550-39461, 1877 presented at ANTEC 2006 Plastics: Proceedings of the Annual Technical Conference, Charlotte, North Carolina; Brookfield, CT: Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE), 7–11 May 2006.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Judkoff, R. Increasing Building Energy Efficiency Through Advances in Materials. MRS Bulletin 33, 449–454 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1557/mrs2008.88
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/mrs2008.88