®
Alba
Alba®balance
Efficient room temperature
management with innovative PCM
plasterboards.
Where energy
efficiency increases
comfort.
Energy-efficient construction is the order of the day.
However, demand for maximum indoor comfort is also
increasing. The new Alba®balance plasterboards allow
you to efficiently reconcile both of these targets whilst
saving energy. This is made possible by the innovative
microcapsules with phase-change material (PCM).
These ensure that surplus heat in walls and floors is
latently stored and automatically released again when
temperatures drop.
Alba®balance plasterboards
for a balanced indoor climate.
Phase-change material PCM as latent heat storage
Phase-change material (PCM) is able to soak up large quantities of
thermal energy and retain it for long periods of time with very little loss.
This is made possible by high-quality paraffins which change physical
state between solid and liquid: when they melt upon reaching a particular
temperature, they absorb the resulting thermal energy (heat of fusion),
which is then released again upon solidifying. This phase transition can
be repeated as many times as required.
Plasterboard as a natural thermostat
The innovative Alba®balance plasterboard construction material contains
specially developed PCM microcapsules which change phase within humans’
comfort zone (23°C or 26°C). If the room temperature exceeds these values,
then the excess heat is absorbed by the boards. If the temperatures should
drop again, this heat is returned to the environment. This creates natural
regulation of the indoor climate – without the need for an external energy
source.
Increased comfort all year round
Alba®balance plasterboards with PCM microcapsules ensure an even
room temperature whatever the time of year – in summer and winter alike.
This makes them an ideal panelling material for partition walls, wall linings
and claddings as well as for suspended ceilings. The fact that they do not
simply increase comfort but also reduce heating and cooling costs makes
them a worthwhile investment in building efficiency, environmental
protection and quality of life.
According to a study conducted by the Royal Institution of
Chartered Surveyors (RICS), buildings are the cause of
around 40% of all CO2 emissions in industrial nations.
Energy-efficient construction using Alba®balance
plasterboards thus makes an active contribution to
climate protection.
3
Delay overheating,
reduce peak loads.
Temperature peak shifting
Whilst classic (plasterboard) drywall panels heat and cool
Temperature T
Temperatur T
in parallel with the intensity of the heat input, Alba®
balance plasterboards break up the heat peaks. This is
due to the latent heat storage properties of the PCM
microcapsules used: when the phase transition (from solid
Tm
to liquid and vice versa) is initiated, the temperature of the
board remains at its current level and only further
increases or decreases once this process has been fully
completed.
Time t
Heat input
Classic drywall panels (plasterboard)
Plasterboards with PCM
This means that excessive maximum temperatures due to
intense sunshine or heating or to waste heat from
Since classic (plasterboard) drywall panels offer sensitive heat storage,
heating runs in parallel to heat radiation. For boards with PCM, however,
this process persists for longer at their defined phase change
temperature. This gives rise to a ‘peak shift’, i.e. a time delay in the
temperature change.
machines and appliances can be significantly delayed.
This ‘peak shifting’ effect reduces energy requirements for
the mechanical re-cooling of excess heat, or allows the
heat surplus to be postponed to times when it will not be
disruptive or can even be used (e.g. when the heat output
drops during the evening).
Temperature smoothing
Heat storage
Heat output
Since the PCM microcapsules store the absorbed heat
and release it again once the room temperature drops
Temperature T
below the predefined value, Alba®balance plasterboards
reduce temperature fluctuations. In order to achieve the
desired effect within the human comfort zone, the choice
Tm
of board type is governed by the need for the correct
phase change temperature (23 or 26°C).
Temperature smoothing should not be confused with an
air-conditioning or heating system, as the PCM
Classic drywall panels (plasterboard)
Plasterboards with PCM
Heat Q
microcapsules do not generate any heat or cold but instead
simply temporarily store it. However, this can be used to
lower the peak load of mechanical air-conditioning and
Excess heat is stored by the PCM microcapsules during phase changes
and rereleased when required. This results in a smaller temperature
fluctuation amplitude and thus a more uniform room temperature.
4
significantly reduce heating consumption.
Temperature equalisation
with Alba®balance plasterboards.
Keep wall temperatures in the comfort
zone
Wall temperature (°C)
30
The fact that the PCM microcapsules in Alba®balance
plasterboards offer a reduction in fluctuations between
lightweight walls has been proven with measurements
conducted in a reference room of the Fraunhofer Institute for
Solar Energy Systems in Freiburg, Germany (Alba®balance
test report). This measured the wall temperatures of a simple
Temperature
(°C)
Temperatur
(°C)
maximum and minimum wall temperatures compared to
28
panelled lightweight wall with 12mm (plasterboard) drywall and
26
24
22
a plasterboard wall consisting of 2 x 12.5mm PCM boards with
a melting point of 26°C. The results conclusively demonstrated
20
160
that the peak levels of PCM boards remained consistently
162
164
166
168
170
Day of the year
below those of lightweight boards.
Classic drywall panels (plasterboard)
Plasterboards with PCM
Alba®balance plasterboards ensure reductions of up to 2K in wall
temperature measurements compared to classic (plasterboard)
drywall panels.
Reduce maximum room temperatures
Room temperature (°C)
30
Walls’ heat absorption and emission properties have
29
Measurements conducted in a reference room on
28
various drywall varieties attest to this. Classic (plasterboard)
drywall panels have the widest fluctuations and reach the
highest temperature in the course of the day. Due to their
higher mass, conventional Alba® (solid) plasterboards
Temperature
Temperatur
(°C) (°C)
a significant effect on room temperature.
27
26
25
24
already produce slightly lower maximum temperatures.
23
However, the top performers were Alba®balance
22
plasterboards with PCM microcapsules: thanks to their
21
latent heat storage properties, the peak values can be
reduced by another 1.5K. In addition, a long-term
comparison shows a considerable reduction in temperature
fluctuation amplitude.
20
160
165
170
175
180
Day of the year
Classic drywall panels (plasterboard)
Classic plasterboard panel (solid plaster)
Plasterboards with PCM
For walls with Alba®balance plasterboards, the room temperatures
measured over a longer period of time remained consistently in the
comfort zone between 22 and 25°C (with the exception of a handful of
peaks and troughs).
5
Summer and winter,
day and night.
26°C
19°C
Comfort through natural
temperature equalisation
An even room temperature increases the productivity and
physical comfort of those in the room. As the PCM
24°C
19°C
microcapsules introduced into the plaster ensure natural
temperature equalisation, Alba®balance plasterboards are
17°C
19°C
Classic drywall panels (plasterboard)
able to achieve this with considerably reduced use of
energy. The boards also release the heat evenly, ensuring
that there is no difference in temperature between the floor
Plasterboard with PCM
and ceiling. Draughts and other unpleasant side effects of
mechanical air-conditioning systems
are also reduced.
Alba®balance plasterboards emit heat evenly, largely neutralising
temperature differences between floor and ceiling.
Increased comfort thanks to effective
thermal insulation in summer
Phase transition
Temperature T
Highly effective insulation and airtight construction
sensitive
Tm
sensitive
methods in buildings with large windows prevent trapped
heat from escape back outside. Alba®balance
latent
plasterboards offer an easy solution to this problem: as
sensitive
they absorb ambient heat above the comfort
zone and then rerelease it when there is sufficient night-
Classic drywall panels
(plasterboard)
Plasterboards with PCM
time ventilation (air exchange rate of 3 to 4), they ensure
efficient heat insulation in summer.
Heat Q
Under strong sunlight, classic (plasterboard) drywall panels heat up in
parallel to the heat input. With Alba®balance plasterboards, on the
other hand, the heat is absorbed by the PCM microcapsules.
Dynamic heat capacity, based on layer thickness [kJ/(m K)]
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
Concrete
Sand-lime brick
Brick
Lightweight
Wood
Glass wool
Alba®balance
5000
Save space with more
compact space storage
Slowing down heating in summer and cooling in winter
requires as high wall thicknesses as possible in solid
construction. With phase-change material (PCM), this heat
exchange requires significantly reduced weight and mass.
A plasterboard partition wall with 2.5cm Alba®balance
panels on each side (+ 5cm insulation) can store as much
heat as a brick wall 20cm thick. This saves space and
increases the yield of commercial properties.
The dynamic heat capacity of Alba®balance plasterboards in the
PCM microcapsule melting range (21 to 24°C) compared to walls
made of conventional construction materials.
6
Increase comfort and save energy
with Alba®balance plasterboards.
Case study – Minergie-P-Eco® residential
building: soak up the sun and enjoy comfort.
‘In order to ensure optimal implementation of the thermal storage
mass in the timber structure, together with the timber structural
engineer and the energy planner we sought alternatives to
complicated and bulky solutions. We eventually concluded that
Alba®balance plasterboards were very well suited to our ‘directly
solar powered house’ concept – primarily because they are
thinner and significantly lighter than other options. We used
Alba®balance plasterboards for walls and ceilings in rooms which
receive high levels of heat from the sun. This provides additional
sound insulation for ceiling areas, improves the indoor climate in
summer and helps to store heat in winter. The additional
production cost expenditure of approx. 1.25% is easily justified by
the increase in living comfort and the anticipated energy savings.’
Stephan Spaar, HTL-qualified architect, partner at 5 Architekten
AG
Property: apartment building on Poststrasse, Spreitenbach
Use: 7 freehold apartments across 3 floors and one attic floor
Developer: Poststrasse construction consortium, c/o 5
Architekten AG, Wettingen
Architecture and planning: 5 Architekten AG, Wettingen
Energy planner: Solararchitektur GmbH, Chur
Timber structure: Timbatec GmbH, Thun
Case study – private villa in Tessin:
eco-friendly construction and healthy
living.
‘In this property, thermal mass for heat storage was lost due to
the internal insulation required for the exposed concrete façade.
We assessed a number of scenarios which might compensate
for this loss, and the option of using a construction material
containing PCM emerged as the ideal solution. Its low space
requirements, high storage capability and ease of processing
were the key factors in this decision.
We used the new Alba®balance plasterboards as panelling
for walls and ceilings in rooms which receive high levels of
heat from the sun, and also as internal insulation for the
façade walls. Since environmental protection and healthy
living is very important to us, we were happy to accept the
marginal cost increase.
Property: Private villa on the Via i Quádra, Novaggio
Architecture: Studio d’architettura Jean-Patrick Jaccard, Caslano
Energy planner: Moggio Engineering SA, Bioggio
Jean-Patrick Jaccard, STS/OTIA-qualified
architect, proprietor of Studio d’architettura
7
Where you create
sustainability in
construction.
Alba®balance plasterboards do more than simply
provide your construction projects with efficient
passive climate regulation – they also make an effective
contribution to protecting the environment. Thanks to
their excellent ecological credentials, they can be
seamlessly included in the efforts for sustainable
construction and to improve buildings’ energy
efficiency. Their technical and economic advantages
are winning over those responsible for their active
implementation.
Alba®balance plasterboards for
eco-friendly construction concepts.
Energy-efficient construction concepts
Intelligent construction in accordance with the Minergie-P-Eco® standard or
with low-energy, passive or self-sufficient active housing concepts could
sustainably reduce Switzerland’s CO2 emissions. As an ecologically
responsible construction material, Alba®balance plasterboards can help to
achieve this goal. Their thermo-active properties increase individual wellbeing in buildings with thick shells, and solve the issue of heat insulation for
large windows in summer without additional (or with hugely reduced) energy
consumption.
Enormous potential for old buildings
According to the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE), the energy needs of
all Swiss residential and commercial buildings can be reduced by 50 to 70%
in the long term. As well as for new builds, there is great potential for saving
energy by renovating old buildings. However, so-called ‘surface renovation’ is
still very widespread when restoring existing buildings. Alba®balance
plasterboards can be used to quickly and economically introduce thermal
mass into old buildings, motivating the homeowners to ecologically upgrade
their holdings.
Closed cycles for construction materials
Alba®balance plasterboards achieve an excellent ecological balance. Made
from the natural raw material plaster and non-toxic paraffins for the PCM
microcapsules, they are totally harmless to humans. Considerate management
of Rigips’ Swiss quarries and their subsequent renaturalisation, energyefficient panel production, short transport distances and the recycling of waste
and dismantled building materials all serve to protect the environment and
ensure a closed cycle.
Together with ecologically responsible construction
methods, technical installations and energy systems,
a building’s ecological balance is also affected by its
construction materials, as well as their transport and
disposal. This means that the entire life-cycle ‘from
cradle to grave’ must be considered as a whole.
9
Environmentally sound
and economically attractive.
Reduction in CO2 emissions
Alba®balance plasterboards are manufactured in Rigips’
Swiss factories using local raw plaster. This ensures
short transport distances from the quarry to the
production plant and on to the market. The
manufacturing process uses cutting-edge, energyefficient, latest generation burners as well as
environmentally-friendly natural gas and green
electricity. Once installed, the boards do not produce any
additional CO2 emissions: in fact, they help to reduce the
energy consumption associated with heating and the use
of mechanical ventilation and air-conditioning systems,
which continue to consume power even after their
construction is complete.
As a building’s environmental balance is affected to a considerable extent
by the manufacturing processes of the construction products it contains,
Rigips is continually reducing its factories’ CO2 emissions and has also
filed binding reduction targets with the federal authorities.
Worthwhile investment
In ideal conditions, energy-efficient refurbishment and
the use of PCM materials can entirely remove the need
to install air-conditioning systems or considerably
reduce the required size of such systems. This
significantly lowers investment costs for building service
equipment. Thanks to their economic construction, low
operating weight and easily-achieved high-quality Q3
surface finish, the minimal additional costs of the boards
are negligible. The high level of flexibility as regards
changes of use, the removal of the need for drying time
and the space gain offered by the plasterboards all
provide additional economic benefits.
In light of global warming, investment in mechanical cooling systems is
becoming more and more significant. In many cases, installing
comparatively cheap Alba®balance plasterboards considerably reduce
the building service equipment costs.
10
Responsible construction
with Alba®balance plasterboards.
Reduce energy and operating costs
Depending on the building’s construction type and
technical equipment, using Alba®balance plasterboards
can cut cooling energy requirements by up to 50% and
also significantly reduce heating consumption. This helps
the environment and also lowers operating costs. By
removing the need to install mechanical air-conditioning,
the purchase of PCM plasterboards will pay off within just
a few years.
As energy prices will continue to increase over the
coming years, the payback period is becoming
increasingly short! This combined with the fact that the
wall panels have no maintenance costs.
Medium and long term energy prices are demonstrating a purely upward
trend – for both fossil fuels and electricity. Increasing energy efficiency
by constructional means is therefore an ecological and also economical
necessity.
Long service life and
eco-friendly RiCycling®
PCM microcapsules are as ecologically harmless and
durable as the natural construction material plaster. RAL
endurance testing has demonstrated that the melting and
liquefaction
process used for heat storage and
emission can be repeated indefinitely.
This guarantees the Alba®balance
plasterboards a service life of at least
30 years. Segments and dismantled
building materials can be easily
reprocessed in the Rigips RiCycling®
plant, and subsequently used to
produce new Alba® panels.
In September 2011, Rigips put Switzerland’s first reprocessing plant
for plaster segments and dismantled plaster building materials into
operation in Granges. This move relieves the burden placed on
landfills and saves valuable local resources.
11
Where people
feel
comfortable.
Besides their thermo-active properties, Alba®balance
plasterboards with phase-change material offer all the
familiar advantages of drywall construction: a healthy
indoor climate without formaldehyde, plasticiser or
similar emissions, natural regulation of air humidity,
pleasant surface temperatures all year round, excellent
sound insulation and maximum flexibility. Their
extremely smooth surface provides a perfect
appearance. This produces rooms where people feel
comfortable – at work and at play.
Alba®balance plasterboards
for new builds and renovations.
Ideal for residential and commercial buildings
Whether conventional or air-conditioned, traditional or complying with the
Minergie® standard – Alba®balance plasterboards ensure a balanced room
climate anytime, anywhere. This makes them equally suitable for residential
homes and industrial, office, commercial and public buildings. As PCM boards
also absorb exhaust heat from office equipment and lighting, in many cases
they eliminate the need to retrofit air-conditioning systems or devices when
renovating older commercial buildings.
Versatile – particularly for wooden structures
Alba®balance plasterboards have extremely versatile applications –
as panelling for façade and partition walls or alternatively as cladding
for suspended ceilings, wooden beam ceilings and attics. In wooden
structures, they enable the thermal mass to be brought up to the level
of a solid or conventionally designed building. This creates
unprecedented levels of comfort and counters many common
preconceptions of timber constructions.
Renovations with interior wall insulation
Energy-efficient improvements are often made to old buildings using interior
wall insulation. As these separate the solid external walls from the interior
rooms, the heat stabilising effect of the brickwork is lost. The thermo-active
properties of PCM compensate for this drawback. Whilst a conventional
lightweight façade panel with 2 x 12.5mm (plasterboard) drywall panels
achieves a heat storage capacity (Ceff) of approx. 6.00 Wh/m2K, a façade
panel using 1 x 25mm Alba®balance plasterboards reaches 72.5 Wh/m2K.
Life and work should also be healthy and
comfortable in energy-optimised buildings.
Alba®balance plasterboards help to improve the
environmental balance of buildings where they are
used, and also to increase comfort levels.
13
Alba®balance plasterboards
for walls and wall panels.
14
Plasterboard interior wall insulation
Plasterboard metal-framed wall
Plasterboard exterior wall in timber structure
Plasterboard cladding for wooden frameworks
Alba®balance plasterboards
for ceilings and attic extensions.
Plasterboard cladding for suspended ceilings Plasterboard cladding for wooden beam
Plasterboard cladding for heated/chilled ceilings
Plasterboard attic extension
15
Alba®balance plasterboards.
The choice is yours.
Product range
Melting point
Latent heat
Room temperature
storage (dH)
Board type
Board size
Basis weight
23°C
300 kJ/m2
Alba®balance 23
500 x 1000 x 25 mm
25 kg/m2
26°C
330 kJ/m2
Alba®balance 26
500 x 1000 x 25 mm
25 kg/m2
Width x length x thickness
Technical data
Identification
Pale pink
Gross density
approx. 1000 kg/m3
Basis weight
approx. 25 kg/m
Latent heat (dH)
300 kJ/m2 = 83 Wh/m2 (operating temperature 23°C)
330 kJ/m2 = 91 Wh/m2 (operating temperature 26°C)
Specific heat (C )
28.3 kJ/m2 K
Total storage capacity (10–30°C)
866 kJ/m
Flexural strength
approx. 8.8 kg/cm
Hardness (Shore)
52
Compressive strength
3.9 N/mm
Shear strength
1.4 N/mm2
Adhesive strength
> 0.25 N/mm2
Building material class (DIN EN 13826:2002-06)
Indicative test B S2 d0
Fire class
5.3 (flame-retardant, low smoke formation)
Characteristics
Ridge and groove profile round all edges
Thermal conductivity
λ 0.27 W/mK
Water vapour diffusion resistance
μ 5–10
Processing
Drill, saw or mill, never chisel
Surfaces
Spackle in joint areas or all over
Finish
Paint, wallpaper, top coat or tiles
2
2
2
2
2
2
16
Alba®balance plasterboards.
Good service all round.
Technical advice
Experienced in-house and field service technical advisers
support your detailed planning and offer you
comprehensive information on all design types. We are
also happy to advise you on special requirements, for
example walls with high sound insulation requirements or
with increased fire protection properties.
Quotations, costings, logistics
Quotation documents and calculation bases are available
to you on CD-ROM or on our website. For more complex
properties, we prepare a tender if desired and provide the
corresponding material lists. It is also our policy to ensure
punctual delivery to the construction site using our special
cranes.
RiCycling®
Thanks to our unique RiCycling® concept, we ensure
environmentally-sound disposal and reprocessing of
plaster segments and dismantled plaster building
materials. With each order, you will receive a number of
‘Big Bags’ delivered to the construction site as collection
containers. Full bags are collected by our partners, presorted and delivered to our RiCycling® plant. For further
information:
Tel. 062 887 70 30 or www.rigips.ch/ricycling
1
www.rigips.ch
Drywall plasterboard.
Expansion that makes sense.
Rigips
Alba
®
®
Wall systems
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walls Façade
walls Cladding
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walls Partition
walls Façade
walls Cladding
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Cladding
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Suspended ceilings
Cladding
Floor systems
Dry flooring
Room systems
Lightweight walls and ceilings
for large heights and spans
Room-in-room constructions
Timber structures
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Cladding
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®
Domes
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®
®
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surfaces
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implementation
Rigips Alba
®
®
Advice
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training Tender/costing
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RiCycling®
Rigips
AG
Gewerbepark
Postfach
5506 Mägenwil AG
Tel: 062 887 44
44
Fax: 062 887 44 45
Email: [email protected]
www.rigips.ch
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