P6-P9 / Upgrading Plattenbau

Pre-fab concrete Buildings emerged in the centers of thousands of towns and cities following World War ||.The lack of labor and material at that time were pushing for faster and cheaper construction. Nowadays most of these buildings are left behind either planned to be demolished or just left empty. Energy demand of the buildings is significantly high, affected by the amount of heat loss/ gain  and lack of proper insulation.

Adapting a solar thermal collectors to a more efficient direction, by using water- filled ETFE (Ethylene Tetrafluoroethylene) cushions as solar thermal collectors. While conventional solar thermal collectors use glass, however this makes the collectors heavy and rigid and also requires increased maintenance since the infrared transparency is reduced when the glass is weathered. The advantages increased longevity, lightness, and low maintenance of the ETFE cushions would lengthen the collector’s lifespan, as well as the lifespan of the system as a whole. Developing Multi Functional Second membrane component to interact with the environmental conditions.