Canton of Vaud / Directorate General for the Environment
Our approach
The DGE, or Directorate General for the Environment of the Canton of Vaud is responsible for implementing the canton's energy and climate policy. Divided into three directorates (energy ; industrial, urban and rural environment, and natural resources and heritage), it is a key player in the world of construction in Vaud. We therefore contacted Dr. Charles Thoumyre Lecomte, a research engineer working in the energy division. As he is specialised in the thermal study of buildings and their simulation, he was able to give us advice in our approach to modelling heat transfer, as well as in our understanding of the energy requirements determined by the law based on the Swiss Society of Engineers and Architects (SIA) standards.
COMSOL and modelling
Charles confirmed that our idea of using COMSOL Multiphysics was a good idea, and suggested that using a finite element method would give a better idea of the aerogel’s properties. Our objective in modelling may be to characterise the trade-off between the mechanical properties of the material and the thermal conductivity. To vary these properties, we can change the density of our aerogel by changing the concentration of cellulose used in its manufacture.
Tomographic imaging of the aerogel
He suggested performing a tomographic imaging of the aerogel to use the features obtained from the 3D imaging. We could even, at a later stage, have the opportunity to import the 3D scan directly when the model is more robust/established, in order to determine the porosity distribution of the material, and then to use it in our simulations.
Regulations and legal framework
In Switzerland, the energy performance is regulated according to the SIA standards (notably 380/1 and 180), where a limit value per m2 is given. It depends on several parameters such as assignment (housing, administration, school…), situation (thermal envelope against ground, outside…) or the type of heating in case of new construction. For example, if you heat with oil, then you have to count 60% of the normal limit, and if you heat with a heat pump or a wood boiler, then it is 100% of this limit. In addition to that, at the level of the municipalities or according to more restrictive labels, such as Minergie, other standards can be applied and ask for more economic and efficient buildings. Finally, Vaud Canton promotes the energy transition with a subsidy programme (over CHF 40 million per year. However, by focusing on energy efficiency and energy production in buildings (so-called active buildings), the Vaud Canton is not yet considering the ecological aspect of materials and their degradability.
What use for our product ?
Concerning the application of our product, Charles told us that contrary to what we thought, after the concrete is poured, a rejection of humidity is still possible after a few years and that a waterproofing strip is therefore applied to moderate the layers constituting the wall (in order to avoid humidity migration to the warm side which causes condensation and could damage the insulation material or the building. Our insulation would therefore not be the most suitable for installation on new concrete, so we slip into the realm of insulation for existing buildings. This is reinforced by the fact that a new energy law will soon be enacted, and that the most energy-consuming buildings should probably be subject to compulsory renovation, which would fall exactly within the scope of our product. Moreover, for protected historical buildings, aerogel is preferred because of its relatively good transparency, its easy application on existing walls and its excellent thermal properties regarding insulation, compared to other more common materials.
Market integration
We then discussed a hypothetical integration of our product in the current market: a very interesting point raised is that, given the saturation of the construction field, a product launched by an unknown start-up is very likely to drown in the ocean of other products. Thus the viable alternative would be to collaborate or sell the product to a large established company that would take care of production, marketing and distribution via the supply chains already in place and their expertise and reputation. We will explore this alternative in our business plan. Charles considers that the modularity of our material could be interesting to apply to other building materials.
At the end of the interview, Charles suggested three interesting possibilities: Minergie, the most used and well-known design label in Switzerland, and more restrictive than the legislation, the BAP, the DGIC building, which is going to be renovated and whose insulation will be based on aerogel, and finally the Plaine du Loup eco-district, currently under construction, both located in Lausanne.
Conclusion
Thus, the interview with Charles Thoumyre put us on the track of models and images to be made to better understand and visualise cellulose aerogel. We discussed the regulatory aspect of insulation and understood a little better how the canton works on this subject. Finally, we were able to discuss the application of our product as insulation, the constraints that should be taken into account, and what would be a feasible angle of attack to put our material on the market, which will be explored in the Entrepreneurship page.