Energy Saving Products - Did You Know?

Aerogel was first developed in the 1930’s by German scientists but was largely ignored at the time. In the past 25 years Dr. Arlon hunt of the Lawrence Berkeley laboratory has been working to develop Aerogel for practical use in products for the home and appliances. Aerogel is the lightest solid material known to man and it’s the best insulating material known to man. A one-inch thick piece of Aerogel has an r-value rating of 10. Ordinary fiberglass insulation would have to be several inches thick to achieve that rating.
Aerogel is already in limited use for insulating windows in europe. A quarter inch piece of Aerogel sealed in a vacuum between two panes of glass carries an R-value of 15. That’s comparable to the walls in most homes. Most ordinary windows in homes today with low-emissive coatings carry an r-value of 5 at best.
Other practical uses for Aerogel under consideration include insulation for small refrigerators and other appliances. There are several problems preventing the widespread production of Aerogel at this time: it’s very expensive to produce, it’s very fragile and it’s transparent properties fade over time. But as scientist continue working on it we could see Aerogel as an insulator for windows within the next 10 years.

LOW-SWIRL BURNER
The low-swirl burner is currently under development by scientist at Lawrence Berkeley labs and may soon be the primary heating source for residential water heaters. The low-swirl burner uses natural gas as its fuel but burns it 20-times cleaner than any natural gas appliance currently on the market. When natural gas burns it emits nitrogen oxides which are the gases that contribute to the greenhouse effect and therefore produce smog. By lowering the nitrogen oxide emissions, it will be an important ecological advancement and will help the everyday homeowner to further clean up our environment.

COOL ROOFING MATERIALS
Scientists at Lawrence Berkeley labs are working on the continued development of roofing materials that reflect the sun’s heat and therefore make the home much cooler inside. Scientists have found that ordinary black asphalt shingles absorb 95% of the sun’s energy, which is transferred through the attic and into the home’s interior. Ordinary green shingles absorb about 80% and ordinary white shingles absorb 75%. The best performing material is a white, smooth acrylic surface which reflects nearly 80% of the sun’s energy. Scientists are continuing to develop a “whiter” white asphalt shingle that has much of the same properties of the smooth, white acrylic surface. These “whiter” white shingles can reduce a home’s cooling needs by 10-percent. A company called “isp” is currently producing the “whiter” white shingles. They cost slightly more than ordinary white shingles and are harder to find but may be worth the added expense and effort the next time you re-roof your home.


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