The building sector accounts for around 35% of Germanys’ energy consumption. At the same time, technological developments are progressing, and more and more energy-saving variants of building components are now available. However, it is not always possible to integrate energy-efficient components into an overall concept in an aesthetically-pleasing manner ‒ research is therefore running at full speed to find solutions, particularly in the field of facade design. Coated polymer films can reduce the energy consumption in buildings as well as increasing solar protection and thermal comfort.

As part of the “follow-e2” research project, five project partners from industry and research are currently working on the further development of functional coatings for polymer films used in architecture. Fraunhofer ISE, the Stuttgart University of Applied Sciences, 2Construct GmbH & Co.KG, Dunmore Europe GmbH and ROWO Coating Gesellschaft für Beschichtung mbH are investigating the entire process from the further processing of coated films into cushions to their installation on the construction site. The coating systems are also to be developed further and a repair system established.

More specifically, dynamic building simulations will be used to evaluate the energy-saving potential of functionally-coated films and to compare it with conventional products. Transport and assembly will also be closely examined in order to derive possible improvements for the individual process steps. Furthermore, additional coating is being developed to protect the functional layer against abrasion and corrosion. To ensure that the coated film can be used for different types of building and application scenarios as well as in different climate zones, the results are to be made available for a product portfolio that is as extensive as possible.

The project "follow-e2" will be funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) until end of November 2019.