BioPCM™ FAQ

Q: Is BioPCM™ a new type of insulation?
A: No. BioPCM™ is not insulation. Insulation works by increasing the thermal resistance of a building, slowing the flow of heat in and out of the structure. BioPCM™ works by increasing the thermal mass of a building, therefore increasing the time it takes for the structure of a building to warm up or cool down. The product is designed to help keep a structure at a prescribed temperature.

Q: Does BioPCM™ replace insulation?
A: No. BioPCM™ is not intended to replace insulation. Energy savings from BioPCM™ is incremental to savings from insulation. This is one reason why the addition of BioPCM™ to a structure is so effective. The combination of insulation and BioPCM™ in a building works similar to a resistor and capacitor in an electrical circuit. The resistor (insulation) reduces the energy (heat) flowing through the walls. The capacitor (BioPCM™) absorbs the excess energy (heat) that makes it through and releases it when the energy level (temperature) drops below the desired level (thermostat setting).

Q: How is the product installed during new construction?
A: Typically BioPCM™ is delivered in a patent-pending rolled mat configuration. The rolled mats contain packets of phase change material. It is installed in a variety of ways:

1. BioPCM™ mats may be integrated into fiberglass roll or bat insulation in place of the craft layer. In this arrangement the combined insulation roll and BioPCM™ mat would be installed in the same manner as traditional insulation. Key advantages of this arrangement are as follows:

• Installs with traditional insulation
• No additional training required to install the product correctly
• If a small BioPCM packet is accidentally ruptured the material will be adequately absorbed by the insulation

mm2.  BioPCM™ may be installed over the top of existing fiberglass.

mm3.  BioPCM™ may be placed between the ceiling joists or roof trusses after sheet rocking and prior to
mmmminstallation of fiberglass roll, mat or blown insulation. This is a preferred method for an “active
mmmminstallation”.

mm4.  PCM mats can be installed in new steel buildings using the methods above.

Q: Can the product be installed into existing buildings?
A: Yes, there are retrofit applications, including:

1. Attics. An attic retrofit can yield effective energy savings, since 60%+ of heat loss occurs through the ceilings in most buildings. Simply lift existing attic insulation, place BioPCM™ between the ceiling joists or roof trusses and replace the removed insulation.
2. Steel buildings. buildings may be retrofitted by placing PCM mats over the existing insulation. This can produce substantial energy savings as most steel structures have very little thermal mass.
3. All structures. We are designing and testing a new BioPCM™ wall panel to retrofit existing structures while eliminating construction hassles.

Q: What happens if the product is punctured?
A: BioPCM™ is contained within separate small sealed pockets containing only between 5ml and 10mls each. In the event that one of these small pockets is punctured, the PCM material that leaks out can easily absorbed into the surrounding fiberglass insulation or gypsum board (DOE study). Both fiberglass insulation and gypsum board absorb tremendous amounts of the material, while retaining energy saving performance.

Q: What kinds of results were achieved in initial testing?
A: Several tests demonstrated energy savings of up to 30% per year. Our testing also reaffirmed the general capability results of numerous phase change material studies by other groups such as the Department of Energy Oak Ridge Laboratory (DOE Study) and Berlin University (IGS PCM office building study). The test also confirmed that our method of encapsulating PCMs did not inhibit their performance (Initial Test Results).

Q: How long will the product be effective (do PCMs have a shelf-life)?
A: Some PCMs do have a shelf life. In PCM terminology this is referred to as the number of freeze/thaw cycles (phase changes) they undergo before breaking down. We have tested our BioPCM™ phase change materials to 13,000 cycles which is equivalent to 48 years worth of cycles with no observable breakdown in performance.

Q: Can I install it in just my roof space?
A: Yes, you can retrofit an existing home by placing PCM mats into the attic below the insulation. Studies show (mid.org) that 60% of the energy used to heat and cool your home is lost through the ceiling. Adding BioPCM™ is a good method to retain and make good use of that energy.

Q: What is the cost per square foot to install?
A: The cost is dependent on how the product is installed. If the product is integrated in the roll insulation as suggested above, there is no additional cost to install since no additional steps would be required. If the product is placed over the insulation, labor costs for this application would be similar to costs associated with installing insulation. In either event the cost would be minimal.

Q: Who are the competitors?
A: Alternative phase change materials have been studied by the Department of Energy, universities and private industry for decades. This research shows a variety of phase change materials may be an effective means to save energy, but many types of phase change materials have challenges for real world construction solutions. Most of the studies focus on either petroleum or salt-based PCMs. We are aware of two petroleum-based product applications being used on a limited basis in Europe. The applications appear to be multiple times more expensive than the BioPCM™ solution and do not have the advantages of the “green building” technology deployed by Phase Change Energy Solutions. Other solutions, such as salt-based applications, appear to have their own challenges with limited life cycles and performance.

Q: Are BioPCM™ material safety data sheets available?
A: Yes. Please send requests to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it