Dow Corning Corporation today announced its participation and contribution of Dow Corning® Vacuum Insulation Panel technology to the Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems (CSE) Building Technology Showcase, a first-of-its-kind research and demonstration building for sustainable technologies in the City of Boston’s Innovation District. Dow Corning is one of 35+ partners contributing a combined total of $2.7 million in advanced building energy technologies and services for the new “living laboratory.”
“Dow Corning Vacuum Insulation Panel technology has already demonstrated its ability to pack high insulation value into thin spaces in appliances and transport containers. This is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate its value in high performance building applications,” said Charlie Zimmer, Dow Corning Global Program Manager for High Performance Insulation.
The Dow Corning Vacuum Insulation Panel is an innovative slender-profile, high-efficiency insulation system currently in development at Dow Corning. With five to 10 times lower thermal conductivity than conventional insulation materials and a life expectancy of 25-50 years or more, this thin-profile insulation technology has the potential to increase thermal resistance in space-limited situations and to enable new design possibilities for zero-energy buildings.
Fraunhofer CSE is performing a deep energy retrofit and renovation of the historic, 100-year-old building at 5 Channel Center in Boston to transform it into a research and demonstration facility for advanced building energy technologies. CSE researchers will evaluate the reliability and effectiveness of the technologies incorporated into the building, helping technology developers prove out their products with building-integrated and other applied research, and showcasing these technologies in a state-of-the-art exhibition and educational space open to the public. The building will be Fraunhofer CSE’s new headquarters, housing its advanced research labs and staff.
As part of its vision for making the building a center of learning that promotes clean energy workforce development, Fraunhofer CSE also announced its commitment to partnering with numerous Massachusetts and regional institutions and businesses on workforce development initiatives once the new building is completed. Working with these partners and others, CSE will bring in student groups and workers entering the clean energy sector for technology demonstrations and training, seminars, and other events.
“In addition to making the Building Technology Showcase the premier research and demonstration laboratory for clean energy technologies, we are committed to making the building a venue where everyone—from seasoned architects and construction executives to students still deciding their future career paths—can visualize the performance and potential of the technologies incorporated into the building,” said Nolan Browne, Managing Director of Fraunhofer CSE. “Our goal is to present the information in innovative ways that engage visitors and create demand for these energy-saving systems and sustainable products in the market.”
Fraunhofer CSE invites building energy product and system manufacturers and integrators to join those on the list of current industry partners. Please contact the Center with ideas for additional technologies to incorporate into the Building Technology Showcase.
For more information on the Building Technology Showcase at 5 Channel Center in Boston, visit here.
