The new City of Westminster College building in London has successfully installed new high-performance solar shading panels that are engineered using SABIC’s Lexan Exell D polycarbonate (PC) sheet.
New solar shading panels made from lightweight, durable Lexan Exell D polycarbonate (PC) sheet.
The durable, lightweight and translucent PC sheet contributes to the sustainability of the building. The panels allow large amounts of natural light to pass through and are anticipated to minimize energy needs, lifespan costs and maintenance.
The Westminster project looked for an innovative material that could offer exceptional durability, flame retardance, UV protection, insulation, aesthetics and other high-performance properties, said Simon O’Hea, director, Colt Group, who had suggested the Lexan Exell D material to the building architect. The customized PC sheet supplied by SABIC provides the exact balance of heat reduction and light transmission. Thus, it improves energy efficiency of the building and also enhances architectural aesthetics.
The building for the City of Westminster College has been designed to reduce carbon footprint and energy consumption. This represents the sustainability initiative that includes installation of vertical solar shading panels. Colt Group has fabricated the solar shading panels, known as brise soleil system, using solid Lexan Exell D sheet. The panels are fixed to the windows on the east and the west façade that have maximum exposure to the sun.
The sheet decreases the amount of material used for structural supports and in addition, it offers high flame retardance and impact strength and resistance to the breakage, graffiti and yellowing. It also provides dimensional stability and makes handling and installation easier.
Lexan PC sheet products are used globally for glazing, cladding and roofing hotels and massive stadiums and other structures. They can help to overcome certain issues such as paint peeling, rusting, cracking, scratching and colour fading. The sheets can be bent into complex shapes and can also be enriched with textures, colours and special effects.
Souce: http://www.sabic-ip.com/