A new invention, Exolation, helps energy efficiency

This one could save a lot of money and energy…I never thought of how the loss of next door houses could cause energy problems for those left…great idea!

A Street administration initiative to rid city neighborhoods of derelict rowhouses addressed one problem but created another: Energy-inefficient conditions inside the adjoining homes left standing. Regardless of how aesthetically unappealing blighted properties are, they help insulate the rowhouses on either side of them. Once those brick blankets are demolished, the properties that remain are harder to keep warm in winter and cool in summer without cranking thermostats or air conditioners. The end result is often higher energy bills for “people who really can’t afford” to pay more to be comfortable, said Fredda Lippes, the city’s sustainability manager and also an architect. The product consists of layers of insulating foam (for thermal protection), high-density foam (to absorb impact), fabric (to prevent penetration of sharp objects), and a latex-stucco finish. The idea is to produce it in 2-by-4-foot panels that will be affixed to a wall with a foaming adhesive. In two tests, crews of three were able to cover an entire rowhouse wall in four hours or less, said Chris Pastore, an engineering professor at Philadelphia University and one of the trio who invented Exolation. “Artists can preprint each panel with a segment of an overall image that they wish to display on the wall,” he said. “In the end, the community receives a large-scale work of art and the homeowner receives a warmer house.” – Source

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