Building Construction

Abstract

A wall construction, or other opaque structure of a building, includes a sequence of highly reflective insulation elements that block heat energy exchange across air spaces, combined with material insulation supporting a heat energy highly reflective surface of the highly reflective insulation element. A highly reflective insulation element is formed by enclosing an air space between surfaces, of which one or both of those surfaces is a heat energy highly reflective surface. The heat energy highly reflective surface can be provided by a layer applied to a material. In an opaque building structure, two or more such highly reflective insulation elements, using three or more heat energy highly reflective surfaces, and two or more air spaces, where the material supporting at least one of the heat energy highly reflective surfaces is a material insulator, can improve energy efficiency.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus in an opaque building structure, comprising:
 a tandem series of highly reflective insulation elements, each highly reflective insulation element comprising one or more parallel heat energy highly reflective surfaces enclosing an air gap; and   a material insulation element supporting at least one of the heat energy highly reflective surfaces of at least one of the highly reflective insulation elements.   
     
     
         2 . A device for use in an opaque building structure, comprising:
 a first material insulation element having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, wherein the first surface is a first heat energy highly reflective surface, and wherein the second surface is a second heat energy highly reflective surface; and   a second material insulation element having a third surface and a fourth surface opposite the third surface, wherein the third surface is a third heat energy highly reflective surface, and wherein the fourth surface is a fourth heat energy highly reflective surface; and   wherein the first material insulation element and the second material insulation element are connected to form an air gap between the second surface and the third surface, whereby the air gap, the second surface, and the third surface form a highly reflective insulation element.   
     
     
         3 . An opaque building structure, comprising:
 framing; and   an exterior structure attached to the framing, the exterior structure having an exterior inner surface;   an interior structure attached to the framing, the interior structure having an interior inner surface;   between the exterior structure and the interior structure, a tandem series of highly reflective insulation elements attached to the framing, each highly reflective insulation element comprising one or more parallel heat energy highly reflective surfaces enclosing an air gap, and parallel with the exterior inner surface and the interior inner surface, and a material insulation element supporting at least one of the heat energy highly reflective surfaces of at least one of the highly reflective insulation elements.   
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the material insulation element has a first surface supporting the at least one of the heat energy highly reflective surfaces of the at least one of the highly reflective insulation elements, and a second surface opposite the first surface support another of the heat energy highly reflective surfaces of another of the highly reflective insulation elements. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the material insulation element comprises rigid foam board insulation. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein each of the heat energy highly reflective surfaces comprises a layer of aluminum foil. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein each of the heat energy highly reflective surfaces has an emittance of less than or equal to 0.05. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein each of the heat energy highly reflective surfaces has an emittance of less than or equal to 0.04. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein each of the heat energy highly reflective surfaces has an emittance of about 0.03. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the material insulation element has a resistance factor of greater than about R-3.6 per inch. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the material insulation element has a resistance factor of at least R-3.6 per inch. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the material insulation element has a resistance factor in the range of R-3.0 per inch to R-8.0 per inch. 
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein the material insulation element comprises rigid foam board insulation. 
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein each of the heat energy highly reflective surfaces comprises a layer of aluminum foil. 
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein each of the heat energy highly reflective surfaces has an emittance of less than or equal to 0.05. 
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein each of the heat energy highly reflective surfaces has an emittance of less than or equal to 0.04. 
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein each of the heat energy highly reflective surfaces has an emittance of about 0.03. 
     
     
         18 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein the material insulation element has a resistance factor of greater than about R-3.6 per inch. 
     
     
         19 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein the material insulation element has a resistance factor of at least R-3.6 per inch. 
     
     
         20 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein the material insulation element has a resistance factor in the range of R-3.0 per inch to R-8.0 per inch.