Construction 3D printing company Mighty Buildings has partnered with multinational manufacturing conglomerate Honeywell to make its 3D printed homes more sustainable.
The partnership will see Honeywell’s Solstice Liquid Blowing Agent (LBA) replace traditional foam insulation in the 3D printed houses. LBA possesses a global warming potential (GWP) of just 1, 99.9% lower than conventional blowing agents.
Incorporating Honeywell’s low-global warming potential (GWP) insulation will reportedly reduce carbon emissions and produce strong, energy-efficient building panels. This will enable near-zero waste and faster construction than conventional methods while offering greater temperature control to homeowners.
“When used with our patented 3D-printing technology, Solstice LBA will enable us to build comfortable and climate-resistant housing,” commented Scott Gebicke, Mighty Buildings’ CEO. “By incorporating Solstice into our production process, we can further enhance the performance and sustainability of our 3D-printed products while reducing the construction industry’s overall carbon footprint.”
According to Gebicke, the collaboration helps to address the need for fast, safe and reliable alternatives to traditional building materials in the construction industry.
Mighty Buildings adds sustainable insulation to 3D printed homes
According to a recent UN Environment Programme report, the construction and building industry is responsible for 37% of global greenhouse emissions. Honeywell and Mighty Buildings’ partnership seeks to tackle this by improving the energy efficiency of 3D printed homes.
The LBA-based building panels will be 3D printed at Mighty Buildings’ production facility in Monterrey, Mexico. Here, the company can produce enough panels for two homes per day. The construction time for each 3D printed house is usually under a week.
Thanks to Solstice LBA’s ability to provide superior thermal insulation, these 3D printed houses require less energy for heating and cooling than those made with alternative blowing agents.
The environmental benefits of Honeywell’s offering have been validated by the Environmental Protection Agency which listed Solstice LBA in its Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) Program. This initiative promotes the development and adoption of alternatives to ozone-depleting materials.
“Honeywell offers a range of solutions to help customers reach their emissions reduction and energy efficiency goals,” explained Jeff Dormo, president of Honeywell Sustainability and Decarbonization. He added that the company’s sustainable, non-flammable foam-blowing agent has the potential to “transform the future of homes” and the construction industry as a whole.
Away from blowing agents, Solstice technology has applications in refrigerants, aerosols and solvents. Honeywell has invested over 1 billion dollars to create new capacity for Solstice, which is currently being evaluated for expanded use in metered dose inhalers.
Introduced in 2011, Honeywell’s Solstice technology has reportedly helped avoid the potential release of more than 395 million metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. This translates to carbon emissions from nearly 94 million gasoline-powered passenger vehicles per year.
3D printing eco-friendly houses
Thanks to its notable sustainability benefits, construction 3D printing has been increasingly adopted for house-building projects globally.
Earlier this year, US-based 3D printing firm ICON announced a new housing development project in Wimberley Springs, Austin, Texas. The development includes eight energy-efficient, single-family homes designed using ICON’s digital architecture catalog.
Each 3D printed home features high-thermal performance concrete construction, maintaining stable indoor temperatures without significant heating or cooling costs. These houses have been certified to the EnergyStar standard, typically achieving a Home Energy Rating System (HERS) rating of 40-55. As such, they are 45-60% more energy-efficient than standard new homes.
ICON claims that its use of low-carbon material CarbonX, combined with its wall system and robotic construction methods, results in a low carbon footprint building process.
Elsewhere, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) is working with 3D printer manufacturer WASP to 3D print sustainable housing in Columbia.
The project has seen UNPD acquire a Crane WASP system to produce the structures using local materials like soil and agricultural waste. The construction 3D printer is designed for versatility and mobility, capable of being transported to remote locations. What’s more, the system’s ability to operate with low energy consumption makes it well-suited to use in areas with scarce power supplies.
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Featured image shows the inside of a 3D printed home. Image via Honeywell.
