

Super-insulated clothing could eliminate need for indoor heating - twsted
http://phys.org/news/2015-01-super-insulated-indoor.html

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hammock
"Eliminate the need for indoor heating" seems like a goofy application of what
is really just a new type of breathable insulated fabric. You will still want
the objects you interact with barehanded to be at room temperature; and many
building elements and appliances are designed to be operated within a
regulated temperature range, e.g. plumbing.

On the other hand, depending on the weight and breathability of the fabric, it
could see use in the outdoors community for hikers, backpackers, climbers,
etc.

~~~
porker
Plus, what would be the effects of breathing in cold air all day long, while
warm yourself? Not great for respiratory health I'd imagine.

~~~
cglace
Do Inuits have any particular respiratory problems from living in the cold?

~~~
porker
Not that I've seen, but they are wrapped in scarves etc today (source: photos)
so will have warned the air before inhaling. Also, much drier air than we
would find inside a house.

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roberthahn
Wouldn't it make more sense to design houses that are significantly cheaper to
heat but are still breathable?

Could this material help in the design of such homes?

A lot of people talk about frozen plumbing, but food, plants and pets are also
a consideration. I don't know about you, but I sure as heck am not going to
dress my cats.

If it must be clothing, then I can definitely see the appeal of spring-weight
clothes that keep you warm in the winter. I would love to wear something like
that.

~~~
analog31
>>> Wouldn't it make more sense to design houses that are significantly
cheaper to heat but are still breathable?

Homes have a lot more surface area, so the power required to keep them heated
is higher, given similar insulation, etc. On the other hand, house insulation
can be thicker and lower tech.

Stopping short of eliminating home heating altogether, it can make sense to
improve the insulation of a home, turning down the thermostat, and putting on
an extra layer or two of clothing. Everybody in my house is wearing a sweater
right now.

Naturally, reducing the exposed surface area by making houses smaller or
attaching them together (i.e., apartment buildings), could make them cheaper
to heat too.

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stonogo
The headline should be "These scientists apparently do not live in a house
with toilet seats"

~~~
leepowers
Well, you could have certain "warm rooms" in your house that are heated
normally. Heating bathroom(s) is significantly less area and cost than heating
a whole house.

~~~
stonogo
I guess they shouldn't have used the phrase "eliminate need for indoor
heating" in the title then.

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stefanix
Warm clothing has been solved a long time ago. This is not the critical point
why houses are heated.

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clumsysmurf
I am skeptical.

"Mylar blankets, which are made of aluminum and plastic, are extremely warm
but are not vapor-permeable, causing moisture to accumulate on a person's
skin."

Mylar may reflect some heat back, but the loss of heat from the system often
negates this. Insulation is still needed.

You can see this yourself - go out on a chilly day in shorts / t-shirt, wrap
up in a mylar blanket, and you will be cold.

Columbia has been adding something similar to their clothing, from baselayers
to outerwear:

[http://www.columbia.com/technology-
omniheatreflective/](http://www.columbia.com/technology-omniheatreflective/)

The idea being, the silver dots will reflect heat, but the gap between them
will allow moisture management. I'm not sure how well it works in all
scenarios but I'm sure I couldn't turn my heat off in the home and be
comfortable with an omni-heat baselayer.

As for the Ag nanowires, i would worry these would become airborn and inhaled
as the fabric breaks down from washing, use, etc.

~~~
quickpost
I have a pair of those omni-reflective gloves - they work really quite well
for any kind of outdoor exercise in the winter (cycling, hiking, etc.). If
you're body is sweaty and warm they warm up quick and stay fairly dry.

~~~
freshyill
I've got a pair too but I hadn't given that silver any thought at all until I
just read the parent comment. Do you find them much better than any other pair
of gloves? I generally don't wear them to work, but maybe I'll give them a
shot tomorrow.

The problem with any gloves, even these, is that they separate your fingers
and increase surface area, making it a lot easier to lose heat. Mittens are
the solution to that, but the problem with mittens is that you lose dexterity
and look stupid.

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abakker
I agree with the comments below, both on not wanting the inside of a house to
be cold, and being worried that the degradation of nanowires would prove in
some way to be catastrophic to either human health or the environment or both.
Even the breakdown of synthetic fabrics is causing environmental damage that
is poorly understood right now. Silver could prove even more problematic to
certain life forms.

That said, I'm not sure why this wouldn't just be used in the the insulation
of a house directly? If we could drastically improve the insulation of a house
without causing a major vapor retention problem, that would do wonders. Of
course, glass is a major problem with good insulation, but I wonder if this
material could be made into a partially transparent insulating layer that
could be applied to glass temporarily?

~~~
TomatoTomato
I wonder if the reflective properties make it unsuitable for 4-season home
insulation. During the summer months wouldn't that keep too much heat inside?

~~~
Retric
AC means you’re keeping heat out in the summer. A well-insulated house is
cheaper to heat in the winter and cool in the summer. Traditional housing in
warm climates focused on removing heat from homes but fans take take little
energy to move lots of air so that's not a major issue in a modern home.

The real gains come from managing solar heat gain. A fairly small solar hot
water heater can keep a well insulated house warm in most of the world, other
options include things like a solar porch etc. External shade can also
drasticaly reduce heat gain in the summer.

Pushing past that and using things like ground source heating can also work,
but they rarely pay off.

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pvaldes
I find a little disturbing the idea of having silver in contact with your skin
24h/7days/3-6months each year for many years:

[http://www.rosemaryjacobs.com/](http://www.rosemaryjacobs.com/)

[http://health.howstuffworks.com/skin-
care/problems/medical/c...](http://health.howstuffworks.com/skin-
care/problems/medical/colloidal-silver-blue-skin.htm)

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TYPE_FASTER
It's really hard to type with cold hands.

[http://www.usbgeek.com/products/usb-heating-
gloves](http://www.usbgeek.com/products/usb-heating-gloves)

~~~
nogridbag
Have you used these? Seems like it would be annoying to be plugged into USB
while I type (especially since I have no more USB ports available!).

I use fingerless gloves and a mini personal heater occasionally in the office
when it gets cold. My coworkers find it a bit strange, but I like to program
in comfort.

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molsongolden
I wonder how expensive this might be to incorporate into lightweight
outerwear. If it really remains breathable enough for use in high output
activity then I could see this being useful in high-end mountaineering,
alpinism, and ice climbing apparel/gear especially gloves, boots, and hard
shell outerwear.

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TomatoTomato
It would be awesome to have lightweight, super reflective materials for socks,
gloves, jackets, and base layers. But, eliminating indoor heating is clearly
ridiculous. Although, reducing the thermostat several degrees while remaining
comfortable is certainly a reachable goal.

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sippeangelo
Super-insulated houses could eliminate need for indoor clothing AND heating!

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larrywright
Given that it's -9F out where I am right now, I'm very skeptical.

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matdrewin
Heating helps fight humidity in Winter which in turn prevents mold.

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lafar6502
why they don't wrap a house in this fabric instead?

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mikelyons
Who the hell wants to see their breath indoors?

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nakedAtAllTimes
I don't wear clothes when I'm indoors.

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ninguem2
I was surprised by this bit: 47% of global energy is spent on indoor heating,
and 42% of that specifically for residential heating. Seems like a lot to me.
A cynic may say that, if that's true, then global warming would be self-
correcting since, as the world heats up, fewer people will need heating.

~~~
gwern
If you google the stat, it seems to be a little more plausible: 47% for
heating and _cooling_. it is not obvious that global warming would be a net
savings of energy: much of the world is already very warm and relies heavily
on air conditioning.

~~~
maxerickson
The only plausible way to reach 47% is for "building energy consumption". So
excluding things like industry and transport.

