Home insulation hero
ENERGY-SAVING insulation for buildings old and new that’s fire-safe, affordable and sustainable will be the construction sector’s new normal, if all goes to plan for start-up manufacturer Thermulon.
After £1million investment, the British developer aims to raise a further £5million in 2022 to scale-up its innovation which scientists, engineers and architects are hailing as a global game changer.
Using technology based on aerogels, mineral materials with tiny air pockets found in sandy substances including building waste, Thermulon’s ingenious formulation is being turned into a powder for plastering walls initially and then creating fireproof panels.
Better insulation is a key part of the UK’s journey to net zero.
Living spaces that are warmer this way also cut condensation, a cause of the damp and mould blighting today’s pre-1990s solid wall housing.
Managing director and chemist Dr Sam Cryer was spurred to set up Thermulon in 2019 by the need to find better ways in the face of the deepening climate crisis and the role unforgivably unfit flammable cladding played in the Grenfell Tower tragedy. Together with process engineer Alexander Murdock and business developer Rozalie Ryclova, their base is Imperial College Labs in London.
Aerogels offered good insulation, but were prohibitively expensive, so any successful commercial innovation also hinged on more efficient production, explains Cryer.
“Our aerogels are the first to beat the trade-off between fire safety, heat performance and price,” she said.
“We do this through a continuous stream, a chemical pathway we have developed which optimises scale and speed while slashing costs. Instead of a bucket we use a pipe.
“Materials can be sourced from overseas but there is a plentiful supply at home if we can establish a chain. Our model is to build processing plants next to waste supply, with centres throughout the UK.
“Less of our product is needed and the process drives down costs so price-wise it compares to conventional insulation.”
Thermulon’s first focus has been on the retro fit market, with a potential seven million homes. Working with lime industry producers it has just completed a successful pilot inWales.
“We hope to have bags ready for sale in spring. Sprays, pumps and renders are other potential applications and the product can also be used to boost buildings with cavity wall insulation,” says Cryer, who is forecasting a £150million turnover for Thermulon by 2027.
The bigger longer-term challenge is production of the panels, a four-year project targeting a market with few options but where millions of buildings urgently require re-cladding.
“We will partner with chemical engineering and equipment manufacturers,” adds Cryer. “Our product is of huge value and the construction sector is now recognising this.”
‘First focus has been on the retro fit market’