Transparent insulation. An innovative European technology holds promise as one route to more efficient solar buildings and collectors

Transparent or translucent insulation materials (TIM's) represent a new class of materials with a high potential for increasing the efficiency of solar thermal systems. A large number of materials and material combinations has been subjected to theoretical and experimental investigation. An overview on generic types, characterisation methods, real existing materials available on the market, and the future potential of transparently insulated systems will be given.