Insulation enhances the energy efficency of a building by creating a thermal barrier between indoor and outdoor temperatures. It keeps HVAC systems from having to compete with the natural elements. But there are times when the sun's warmth could be useful, if it could make its way inside a building. Traditional insulation blocks all heat equally, regardless of the temperatures inside and out. It takes a smarter kind of buliding material to make use of the sun's free energy, while still insulating the indoors from cold and extreme heat.
RavenSkinTM insulates like a normal wall (large panels are R11 or greater), limiting the conduction and convection of heat. However, by converting incoming sunlight to infrared, and then directing the flow of energy inward only when desirable, it accomplishes something that standard insulated walls can't: it lets heat into the building when you need it, and keeps it out when you don’t. Product availability 2013.
