Page 39 - Green Builder May-June 2017 Issue

institution, which always makes the execution a lot simpler. How can this multi-functional façade system be used as a
Further into the project, we discovered how the [residents] were in retrofitting technique across Europe, with different buildings a
a very critical social predicament. This led to a number of technical nd climates?
issues to solve on site, such as the distribution of the panels on the We designed the panels to fit social housing buildings. After
façade. In some cases we didn’t have access to apartments, and so we analyzing hundreds of housing typologies across Europe, we can
had to change the installation because the panels had to fit [residents’ say that the building standards do of course differ depending on
needs], and some required monitoring. the year of construction, aesthetics and function, but overall they
What are the preliminary results at the demonstration are quite similar.
building in Merida? We developed the panels accordingly, using a modular system to fit
We already have good information on the technical development any climate and housing situation. We also developed an anchorage
and fine-tuning of the construction process. However, we are still system involving special trays that can easily be adjusted to allow
in the process of analyzing simulations and gathering energy data. for different building sizes.
We hope that we can sum up the impact of the panels in mid-2017 Is that feasible in terms of costs?
and present some data then. Since this is an innovative technology, it costs more than the state-
MeeFS has claimed a breakthrough in developing two technologies: of-the-art technologies. [But] what we can already say is that our
the advanced passive solar protector and energy absorption unit, technology is easier to adapt to buildings and its effectiveness is
and the advanced passive solar collector and ventilation unit. Why higher than that of standard technologies.
are they so innovative? We limit the payback time to seven years, so the panels are
Both panels aim to increase energy efficiency, reduce the total energy more energy efficient and offer greater savings in the long run. We
demand and enhance the indoor comfort of the building. To achieve designed the panels to be adaptable to future technology as well, so
this, the panels combine several technologies that are automatically I think that they have a very good chance of being competitive in
adapted to the position of the panel and the climate. Depending on maybe five to 10 years.
summer, winter, and day and night for example, they are able to
adjust to the specific energy demand of the building. Courtesy of youris.com
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