Unique Kalwall® insulating and Diffuse Light Transmitting Panel Now Available to the Construction Industry in Europe

Kalwall Corporation, USA, has announced that its unique Kalwall® building panels filled with Nanogel® Translucent Aerogel will be introduced for the first time in Europe at Batimat 2003 being staged in Paris, 3-8 November. Subsequently, this unique, outstanding product will be available to the construction industry in the UK through its distributor, Stoakes Systems Ltd, in the Benelux through Hermans NV-SA, and in Spain through Astrawall Iberica, S.L.

This new Kalwall product, which is set to revolutionize translucent panel applications, is the result of co-operation between Kalwall and Cabot Corporation, the commercial developer of silica aerogel translucent thermal insulation material, marketed under the Nanogel® brand name. The combination of Kalwall® and Nanogel® Translucent Aerogel, further enhances Kalwall’s international leadership in insulating and diffuse light transmitting panel technology and, importantly, it has made a significant contribution to the interior effects available to architects for new building designs.

Kalwall® with Nanogel® can deliver light transmission and thermal insulation levels of between two and four times greater than those achievable with current technologies. For example, with a ‘U’ value of 0.28W/(m²-K), its insulation performance is four times better than insulating glass, and gives museum-quality diffuse, glare-free daylight, without hot spots or shadows. It can also improve acoustic insulation.

Kalwall® with Nanogel® panels offer high resistance to impact, have excellent fire retardant properties and are resistant to condensation, mold and mildew, making the panels an ideal fit in almost any structure either as a portion of or as complete sections of walls or roofs.

Already specified and installed in commercial and public buildings in the USA, these state-of-technology panels are delivering energy savings, improved aesthetics and environmental comfort, as well as a superior natural daylight experience for the people who use them. The first project was completed by Kalwall Corporation in November 2002 and involved a swimming pool building enclosure in Manchester, New Hampshire, USA. Kalwall, an international leader in translucent paneling, partnered with Cabot to be the first company to produce a Nanogel(r)-based building product.

Kalwall® distributor, Stoakes Systems, is a leading designer, manufacturer and installer of cladding, curtain walling and roofing systems. The company believes the ability of new Kalwall® with Nanogel® panel to satisfy the most stringent current and projected codes for building insulation, in particular in energy savings, will extend acceptance of the daylighting panel system by the architectural community.

According to Kalwall® Corporation Chairman, Robert Keller: “Through the continuous development of the product line, Kalwall® has retained its position for more than four decades as the most highly insulating, diffuse light transmitting system available to the building industry, globally. With this latest step in technology we are looking to capture a substantially larger share of the market, particularly in Europe where building design innovation is an unbroken tradition.”