Passive Thermo-Adaptive Textiles

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Program:
DELTA
Award:
$5,439,748
Location:
San Francisco, California
Status:
ALUMNI
Project Term:
05/08/2015 - 12/07/2019

Technology Description:

Otherlab will develop thermally adaptive materials that change their thickness in response to temperature changes, allowing the creation of garments that passively respond to variations in temperature. In contrast to existing garments that have a constant insulation value whether conditions are hot or cold, thermally adaptive materials change shape as temperature changes, leading to a change in insulation. The material change is a physical response, passively operating and requiring no input from the wearer or any control system. Garments made from thermally adaptive fabrics will enable the wearing of fewer layers of clothing for comfort over a broader temperature range, effectively lowering the heating and cooling requirements for buildings. Beyond apparel, this advanced insulation may find applications in drapery and bedding.

Potential Impact:

If successful, DELTA technology could increase energy efficiency, reduce emissions produced by powering traditional HVAC systems, and enable more sustainable heating and cooling architectures for energy-efficient building design.

Security:

The innovations developed under the DELTA program have the potential to increase energy efficiency, improve overall building performance, and reduce HVAC energy consumption by at least 15%.

Environment:

The heating and cooling of buildings generates about 13% of the U.S. domestic greenhouse gas emissions. Through improved utilization of energy produced by fossil fuels, with full adoption DELTA can reduce these emissions by 2%.

Economy:

DELTA program innovations can help U.S. businesses eventually reduce reliance on tightly controlled building environments, thus enabling radical and sustainable architecture in next generation energy efficient building designs.

Contact

ARPA-E Program Director:
Dr. Jennifer Gerbi
Project Contact:
Dr. Brent Ridley
Press and General Inquiries Email:
ARPA-E-Comms@hq.doe.gov
Project Contact Email:
brent@otherlab.com

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Release Date:
04/29/2014