Experimental and theoretical investigation about the effect of nano-coating on heating load

Authors

• Sara Farahmand ¹
• Bizhan Honarvar * ^{1, 2, 3}
• Dariush Mowla ⁴
• Gholamreza Karimi ⁴
• Mansoor Taheri ⁴

1. Department of Chemical Engineering, Marvdasht Branch, Islamic Azad University, Marvdasht, Iran
2. McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, 200 E. Dean Keeton St., Stop C0400, Austin, TX, 78712-1589, USA
3. Young Researchers and Elite Club, Marvdasht Branch, Islamic Azad University, Marvdasht, Iran
4. Department of Chemical Engineering, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran

Abstract

Building insulators reducing the natural gas required for interior heating or heating load reduction, have a positive impact on energy saving. Paints containing nano-silica aerogel can be applied as façade coatings and building insulators. In this study, the heating load was assessed for a building in a Mediterranean climate. Acrylic paint containing nano-silica aerogel was used as façade coating. The purpose was obtaining the performance of nano-paint on the reduction of heating load for the building. A model was developed to evaluate the amount of building heating load with and without the nano-paint. Nano-coated façade showed reductions in heating load compared to that façade without nano-coating. In addition, a stable heating load requirement was obtained after applying nano-paint, despite changes in the climatic conditions. Thermal insulation and water repellent properties of the paint containing nano-silica aerogel were important to reduce heating load requirement. Therefore, nano-paint containing silica aerogel was a cost-effective modification for façade which introduced a promising passive method to reduce heating load requirement in the buildings.

Keywords

• Nano-paint
• Silica aerogel
• Acrylic paint
• Building complex
• Heating load
• Modelling