What do pizza delivery bags, some beer labels and a green energy solution have in common? This probably is something you never have pondered. But think about it.

When a pizza is delivered to your home, it arrives in a bag that keeps the pizza piping hot. You wash down that pizza with a beer, and on the beer bottle is a label that changes colors to indicate when the beer is deliciously cold or when it might be too warm for your palate. The technology behind these bags and beer labels is the same as a new product offered by Fabral. Called Phase Change Material, or PCM, the biodegradable item is designed to enhance a building’s insulation by keeping a building at a pre-established temperature during the day. This equates to less energy consumption and lower costs.

What It Is

Phase Change Material is made from refined soy bean and palm oils. It is 100 percent biodegradable, and can be cleaned with soap and water.

PCM is encapsulated in a durable PVC film. The film is available in a variety of widths and profiled configurations that integrate with Fabral metal wall and roof systems. Because of the encapsulation, there is no concern for leaks.

What It Does

When thinking about how this natural compound works, think about ice and water. Like ice and water, Phase Change absorbs heat when it melts — changing from a solid to a liquid — and releases heat when it solidifies — changing from a liquid to a solid. Using these principles, Phase Change installed in a building absorbs heat during the day and releases it at night.

“Because Phase Change goes through this natural occurrence at or near room temperature, it can dramatically affect the temperature of a building,” added Dave Brown, corporate manager of New Product Development for Fabral’s parent company, Euramax International.

The storage and release of heat makes a building’s energy cycle more efficient. It does this by reducing the indoor temperature fluctuation and the need for heating and cooling. Lowered greenhouse gas emissions, decreased energy use and a shift of energy usage away from peak demand are other benefits.

Phase Change has undergone various testing, including:

-- Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tenn. (in conjunction with the Metal Construction Association, Glenview, Ill.), showing a 30 percent reduction in heating and 50 percent reduction in cooling requirements

-- ArizonaPublic Service: Desert Climate Residential Building Test

-- ArizonaState University: Proceedings of ASME 2010 International Conference on Sustainability (ES210-90035)

-- PennState University: 2009 Solar Decathlon Entry

-- Various fast-food restaurants in both retrofit and new construction

It also has undergone laboratory testing for longevity, and Phase Change was cycled through 85 years of life without being impacted.

“Phase Change isn’t insulation but complements insulation,” Brown added. “Insulation works by increasing the thermal resistance of a building, slowing the flow of heat in and out of a structure. PCM increases the thermal mass of a building, increasing the time it takes for the structure of a building to warm up or cool down.”

Where to Use It

Phase Change is designed to be installed in roof and wall systems. It is suitable for new construction and retrofit applications in commercial, industrial and residential applications. Fabral offers integrated packages for both roofing and wall applications. Typically, Phase Change is installed closest to the conditioned space.

“Phase Change is designed to fit Fabral panel profiles so it will not be fastened in areas that contain actual PCM,” Brown said. “Mechanical fasteners hold Phase Change securely in place during wall and roof assembly. In a typical field-assembled wall or roof system, Phase Change installs using similar techniques and tools as those used for installing metal liners, vapor retarders, insulation and exterior cladding materials. Therefore, it is easily installed by current roof and wall tradespeople without special tools or training.”

Always Evolving

Although this technology has been around for some time in other industries, it is relatively new to the building market. From hot pizza and cold beer to making a building’s energy cycle more efficient — Phase Change has the capacity to change the way people think about energy efficiency and controlling building temperature fluctuations.