EENSULATE · Project

Lightweight Insulating Glass and Foam That Retrofit Old Building Facades to Near-Zero Energy

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Imagine your office building has those big glass curtain walls from the 1980s — they look sleek but leak heat like a sieve. This team developed two products to fix that: a special spray foam for the solid panels and an ultra-thin vacuum glass that replaces the old panes — both light enough that the original building structure can handle them without reinforcement. Think of it like putting a high-tech thermos layer over the entire building skin, cutting energy waste dramatically while keeping costs down. They even added a smart coating that adjusts to sunlight and cleans itself.

By the numbers

28%

Reduction of total retrofit costs

35%

Weight reduction vs conventional solutions

Consortium partners

Countries represented

67%

Industry partner ratio

The business problem

What needed solving

Millions of square meters of commercial buildings across Europe have outdated curtain wall facades that hemorrhage energy, but conventional deep renovation is too heavy for the original structures and too expensive for most building owners. Property managers face tightening nearly-zero-energy regulations with no practical retrofit path that avoids structural reinforcement costs.

The solution

What was built

The project developed two commercial insulating products — a mono-component spray foam for opaque curtain wall panels and a lightweight thin double-pane vacuum glass for transparent sections — plus a thermo-chromic coating with self-cleaning properties. Full-scale prototypes were manufactured and tested in relevant environments.

Audience

Who needs this

Commercial property owners with aging curtain wall office buildings facing energy compliance deadlinesCurtain wall and facade manufacturers seeking next-generation insulating productsHeritage building renovation specialists needing thin insulating glass for original window framesBuilding energy consultants advising on deep renovation strategiesMunicipal governments managing public building portfolios with energy reduction targets

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Commercial Real Estate & Property Management

enterprise

Target: Property owners and facility managers of 1970s-2000s office towers with curtain wall facades

If you are a property manager struggling with energy compliance deadlines on aging glass-facade office buildings — this project developed lightweight vacuum glass and spray foam insulation that achieve nearly zero energy standards with 28% lower total costs and 35% less weight than conventional retrofit options. That weight reduction means you can upgrade without structural reinforcement, avoiding the most expensive part of deep renovation.

Curtain Wall & Facade Manufacturing

mid-size

Target: Facade system manufacturers and installers seeking energy-efficient product lines

If you are a curtain wall manufacturer losing contracts because your products cannot meet tightening energy codes — this project created two ready-to-integrate components: a mono-component spray foam for opaque spandrel panels and a thin double-pane vacuum glass. Both were validated at full-scale prototype level with partners like Focchi and DAPP, offering Basic and Premium module tiers you could add to your catalogue.

Heritage & Historical Building Renovation

SME

Target: Architects and contractors specializing in listed or heritage building renovations

If you are an architect working on historical buildings where you cannot change the original window frames — this project specifically developed thin vacuum glass compatible with original window frames and sash designs. Partner BGTEC focused on exploiting the limited thickness and high insulating properties to solve fenestration challenges in heritage buildings without altering their protected appearance.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

How much does this retrofit solution cost compared to standard methods?

The project objective states a 28% reduction of total costs compared to conventional curtain wall insulation retrofits. Exact per-square-meter pricing is not published in the available data, but the cost reduction was a core design target validated during the project.

Can this be manufactured at industrial scale today?

The project ran as an Innovation Action (IA) with 10 industrial partners including major manufacturers like AGC (glass), SELENA and EVONIK (chemicals), and Focchi (facades). Full-scale prototypes were manufactured and tested. The consortium was structured for commercialization, but current production status would need to be confirmed with the partners.

Who owns the intellectual property and how can I license it?

IP is distributed among the 15 consortium partners across 8 countries. Key technology holders include AGC and TVITEC for the vacuum glass, SELENA and EVONIK for the spray foam, and UCL for the thermo-chromic coating. Licensing would need to be negotiated with the respective technology owners.

Does this meet current building energy regulations?

The solution was designed to bring existing curtain wall buildings to 'nearly zero energy' standards while complying with national building codes. The project explicitly addressed regulatory compliance across multiple EU member states represented in the consortium.

How long does a typical retrofit installation take?

Based on available project data, specific installation timelines are not published. However, the automated spray foam application for opaque panels and the drop-in vacuum glass replacement for transparent sections were designed to reduce installation complexity and thermal bridge issues during fitting.

Can this integrate with my existing building systems?

Yes — the solution was specifically designed for retrofitting existing curtain wall facades. The 35% weight reduction ensures compatibility with original building structures without reinforcement. The system offers two tiers: Basic modules with insulating glass and foam, and Premium modules adding thermo-chromic coatings with self-cleaning functionality.

Consortium

Who built it

The EENSULATE consortium of 15 partners across 8 countries is heavily industry-driven at 67% — a strong signal of commercial intent. The partnership reads like a supply chain: AGC and TVITEC bring glass manufacturing, SELENA and EVONIK handle chemical formulations, Focchi and DAPP are curtain wall system integrators, BGTEC covers heritage fenestration, and UNStudio provides architectural design. With 5 SMEs in the mix alongside major industrial players, the consortium covers the full path from material science to building installation. Three universities (ULSTER, UNIVPM, UCL) provided the research backbone without dominating the partnership.

RINA CONSULTING SPACoordinator · IT
VAN BERKEL EN BOS U.N. STUDIO BVparticipant · NL
AGC GLASS EUROPE SAparticipant · BE
BERGAMO TECNOLOGIE SPZOOparticipant · PL
EVONIK INDUSTRIES AGthirdparty · DE
FOCCHI SPAparticipant · IT
FENIX TNT SROparticipant · CZ
UNIVERSITA POLITECNICA DELLE MARCHEparticipant · IT
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDONparticipant · UK
EVONIK OPERATIONS GMBHparticipant · DE
UNIVERSITY OF ULSTERparticipant · UK
SAES GETTERS S.P.A.participant · IT

How to reach the team

RINA CONSULTING SPA (Italy) coordinated the project. Contact their innovation or energy efficiency division for technology access and partner introductions.

Order a report on this consortium See RINA CONSULTING SPA profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want an introduction to the EENSULATE technology providers? SciTransfer can connect you with the right consortium partner for your specific retrofit or product development need.

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