in the workplace

in the classroom

in retail

in health care

Insulation &Thermal Performance

Sound Absorption & Privacy

The inclusion of Lumira® aerogel in fenestration systems optimizes an architect’s ability to design with daylight. Lumira® aerogel is an exceptional material that manages heat, diffuses light, reduces sound, and repels moisture.

Aerogel is the lightest and best insulating material in the world.

• Minimizes thermal loss• Creates quality, diffused light• Reduces/eliminates glare• Reduces solar heat gain• Prevents convective downdrafts• Improves resistance to condensation• Reduces sound transmission• Helps to reduce carbon footprint

Multiwall Polycarbonate with Lumira® aerogel

A Holistic Approach to Daylighting the environmental, economic and social impacts of Lumira® aerogel-filled, polycarbonate daylighting

Environmental Impact

Social ImpactEconomic Impact$Lumira® aerogel-filled panels have a strong return on investment.

By using Lumira® aerogel-filled polycarbonate panels in a daylighting system, the performance of that system can be improved over the standard product by a factor of four or five. New unit costs of Lumira® aerogel-insulated skylights average 25-35% more than standard skylights but are able to see an ROI in under 3-5 years,depending on energy costs.

Distribution Center with 220 Unit Skylights (differential in performance vs. standard domes) • Energy reduction - 6,000 BTU/hr • Cost of energy not consumed - $8500 per year • Savings over 15 year service life - $127,000 • Carbon footprint reduction – 83 tons per year

SAVE + $125,000 OVER 15 YEARS

CLICK HEREto learn how the School of Engineering and Built Environment at Edinburgh Napier University saved energy and money by putting aerogel daylightingto work for them.

Design Flexibility & Aesthetics

For each kWh of electricity used for commercial lighting, ~.5 kWh of

electricity is needed for cooling. Incorporating natural daylight

into a building saves on both lighting and cooling loads;

reducing costs and carbon footprint.

Daylighting delivers substantial and measurable benefits. The full spectrum light provided by

daylighting is the source of life and essential to our well-being, health and development.

daylighting helps concentration and can increase a student’s performance on tests by as much as 20%

natural light can help increase production and has been proven to raise employee productivity by 2-16%

studies have shown an average 25-40% increase in sales in retail stores where skylights provide a significant portion of daytime lighting

patients in hospital rooms with windows/skylights experience shorter stays; as daylight contribute to physical health resulting in earlier patient discharge

Sunlight is strong in both temperature and brightness causing glare and overheating areas where individuals perform critical tasks.

Daylight is soft and cool, both in temperature and color, and creates a visually stimulating and productive environment.

Daylighting is the controlled admission of natural light into an interior space and is used as aprimary lighting source.

Daylighting is More Than Letting in Sunlight

Full Spectrum Light Provides Many Advantages

• A connection to the exterior • Interior ambiance and occupant comfort • Improved visual quality • Positive effects on the immune system • Increased happiness and productivity • Lower rate of illness and absenteeism • Better attention and faster learning rates • Overall general health and well-being • Improved quality of life • Cost savings

Lumira® aerogel high porosity and fine structure ensure excellent thermal performance in inhibiting heat transfer.

Conduction: The low solid content of Lumira® aerogel reduces the transfer of heat through solid phase conduction.

Convection: The pore size of Lumira® aerogel traps gas molecules preventing them from colliding and transferring heat.

Radiation: Lumira® aerogel can be opacified minimizing heat radiation by absorbing it.

Visible Light &Diffusion

With the diffusion properties of Lumira® aerogel, light is evenly distributed; reducing glare and eliminating hot-spots

The structure of Lumira® aerogel inhibits sound and vibration transmission not just by blocking, but by absorbing sound energy, creating significant sound control by reducing external and internal noise transfer.Lumira-filled daylighting systems transmit much less sound than traditionalsystems, leading not only to better energy efficiency, but alsoquieter interior spaces.

With its unique look, aerogel adds texture and depth to polycarbonate glazing and provides visual privacy while still allowing high light transmittance.

“The combination of polycarbonate sheet and environmentally friendly Lumira® aerogel particles provides a unique balance of cost, thermal performance, acoustic performance, visual comfort and aesthetics. It offers architects and developers an attractive, practical way of following the French HQE® approach to energy management and environmental impact.”

Mr. Christophe MurailGeneral ManagerMurail Architectures

The most effective light is managed to sufficient levels without glare or solar heat gain, and it gets that light deeper into the building without intensity or harsh shadows.

Effective daylighting requires balance. Too much contrast between dark and light, from very bright light to very dark shadows, is uncomfortable for the eyes.

The natural light diffusion and glare elimination provided by Lumira® aerogel can replace or supplement artificial lighting, resulting in significant energy and demand savings.

Lumira® aerogel is a registered trademark of Cabot Corporation.