Superinsulating Aerogels Arrive on Home Insulation Market At Last

[Are_grits_groceries]

Over 70 years ago, scientists invented aerogel, the least dense solid known to man, and an insulator four times more efficient than fiberglass or foam. Famously, according to Dr. Peter Tsou of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, "you could take a two- or three-bedroom house, insulate it with aerogel, and you could heat the house with a candle. But eventually the house would become too hot."

Unfortunately, aerogels remained so expensive and unwieldy that only NASA used them with any regularity. However, thanks to recent production advances, aerogel insulation is now available and affordable for consumer purchase.

Even after the price drop, aerogels remain more expensive than common insulating materials. But since aerogels are more plastic than fiberglass or foam, permeable to water vapor, and flameproof, the extra cost may well be worth the investment when insulating masonry, shingles, or curved surfaces. Plus, since they're so light and efficient, aerogels reduce other building costs as well.

Aerogels are made by constructing a conventional gel, and then removing the liquid though supercritical drying. The resultant material is 90 percent air, but retains the structure and rigidity of the non-liquid gel components.
http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2010-02/aerogels-hit-consumer-insulation-market

Still expensive, but this would be worth a look for tax credits or something especially with power bills way on the upswing. Give contractors incentives to use it. Work with the manufacturer.

[old mark]

1. If this can be applied to existing structures, it would save huge amounts

of energy and may even create jobs and business.

And the "energy" companies would scream...

rec
mark

[supernova]

2. So, how much does it cost compared w/ the pink stuff?

Is it as expensive as solar? OR somewhere in between fiberglass and solar?

[Are_grits_groceries]

4. Here's a link with several companies

listed. They don't list the prices online as far as I can tell.

[thunder rising]

3. Interesting observation. Why now after 70 years? What where the "advances"?

This seems to be coming out of Jet Propulsion Labs (a government entity). Inquiring minds have to wonder.

[Are_grits_groceries]

5. I don't know.

I'm not sure I want to.

[FormerDittoHead]

8. If a company can't get a patent/copyright/trade secret, they don't want to "compete".

I remember seeing one of these 'inventor' shows about a woman who invented a light bulb + receptacle design that you just snapped in, rather than screwed, that would be much easier for those fixtures which were hard to reach.

It turned out, however, that someone else had the same idea 50 years ago and patented it, and that expired.

So the point is that NO ONE wanted to produce these bulbs because after paying for all of the expenses of entering the market, if it turned out that people LIKED it, there wouldn't be anything stopping large manufacturers making the same thing and through their larger facilities and economies of scale, out-price out-distribute the first party.

So it never gets to market in the first place. If the big guys don't want to do it and the small guys won't touch it without IP rights, it just doesn't get done.

[hunter]

11. Aerogels are allegedly one of the key components of nuclear weapons.

Sorry, Are_grits_groceries.

[Are_grits_groceries]

12. A lot of technology is misused.

At least let somebody get some good out of it.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

6. Some other forms/views of aerogel.... waycool.

[n2doc]

7. If they could get it to the point where it can be incorporated into drywall

cheaply, this would be fantastic.

[Historic NY]

9. If you could spray the exterior of an old house w/o insulation...

that would certainly make a huge difference. The cost might be higher but it would be easier than trying to fill in the gaps with blown in insulation.

[here_is_to_hope]

10. Too much embodied energy

to be green.
We built a straw bale house in Montana, R90 in the walls and ceiling with very little embodied energy as the straw was going to be used as fodder and bedding.
Blows this energy intensive plastic away.

[Chemical Bill]

13. I went to a workshop on insulation and saw some of this.

I just can't find my @£%$&* notes. IIRC, the cost is in the ballpark, a single digit multiple of the cheapest insulation at Home Depot. The obvious use for this is in an application where thickness is the limiting factor, such as my old post and beam with no studs in the walls. If you can fit 3-6 inches of insulation, you can easily use something cheaper (and yes, less energy intensive to make). But my choice is an inch of R-7 foam, or maybe 1/2 inch of this with a much higher R value. I'll be saving my money and hoping the price comes down even more in the next year or two, then make my choice.

Bill

[xchrom]

14. Recommend -- very cool. Nt