I-Corps: Ultra-clear, transparent aerogel material developed to enable the next generation of energy efficient windows

Award ID: 1949121

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is to enable the next generation of cost-effective, energy efficient windows. The lack of affordable, energy efficient windows results in thermal discomfort and Americans wasting over $32 billion each winter in direct energy losses. The proposed super-insulating nanoporous glass can enable windows to be 50% more insulating than 80% of currently installed products, with payback periods 5 times faster than similar performance solutions. Based on silica aerogel technology, the approach of using a solid material as a transparent insulating layer also increases window lifetime and reduction in total materials needed, leading to a more sustainable product line. Commercialization of this material and its super-insulating properties also has potential energy savings and sustainability improvements to other industries as well, such as transportation and renewable energy generation. This I-Corps project is based on years of fundamental development of ultra-clear, insulating aerogel. The proposed aerogel material is a nanoporous glass made up of 95% air trapped inside features so small they are invisible. However, these "invisible" nanopores allow the material to be a fraction of the weight of glass and twice as insulating as air. Even a thin layer (only a few millimeters thick) reduces heat losses by up to 50%, and, also provides a more stable, insulating support layer for exotic gasses and reduced pressures. Unlike commercially available silica aerogels, this ultra-clear material was developed to be extremely transparent (transparency higher than even glass). This was achieved by carefully studying and tailoring the nanostructure of the silica aerogel to reach visual clarity and transmittance higher than 98%. Modeled performance supported by material characterization indicate our aerogel can achieve a U-factor of 0.20 BTU/h/ft2/F while still being sufficiently clear. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Program Director: Ruth Shuman