An energy-saving breakthrough in responsible construction

Responsible construction strategies for sustainable buildings are now high on the political agenda, as building regulations increasingly conform to frameworks on climate change, such as the Kyoto agreement. So the need for energy-saving materials and solutions in the construction industry has never been more critical.

DuPont™ Energain® is a radical new concept in thermal mass materials that could revolutionize the way the world constructs. It provides a long-term sustainable solution to helping reduce energy usage and costs in low inertia public, commercial and residential buildings, which are designed for framed construction in timber, steel or aluminium.

DuPont™ Energain® absorbs and releases heat

This breakthrough product takes the form of an aluminium-laminated panel, containing a copolymer and paraffin wax compound. Installed on the interior walls and ceilings of a building, behind the plasterboard lining, together with a mechanical ventilation system, DuPont™ Energain® thermal mass panels absorb and release heat, as a result of temperature fluctuations, which cause the compound to react, bringing about a 'phase change' at molecular level.

DuPont™ Energain® significantly slows down temperature increases within a room, reducing temperature peaks by as much as 7°C, providing greater comfort for inhabitants and lessening the need for air conditioning. Conversely, as temperatures drop, the absorbed heat in the panels is released, warming rooms and lessening the need to resort to heating systems.

By stabilizing the effects on room temperature at both ends of the scale, DuPont™ Energain® dramatically reduces air conditioning and heating costs, provides greater comfort and enables architects and designers to build sustainable, innovative, cost-efficient buildings.