I was watching a recent episode of renovation nation and they were at a green build expo.  They hit the nanogel booth and the guy said the payback is now at as little as 6 months to just a few years.   Has anyone have experience w/ the product and verify the financial feasibility?

I'd probably use it in multiwall polycarb panels for translucent panels in various places in residential.

I think there are roll and sheet products using it now as well.   Why wouldn't everyone be using it if the paybacks are in line?

Just found an article on it but no real specifics.

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But now, a handful of aerogel companies are offering thin blankets that serve as replacements for traditional fiberglass, foam, or cellulose insulation. It's still more expensive upfront but the costs have fallen to the point that it can make sense in certain cases, particularly masonry or curved walls, according to Aspen Aerogels.

"We opened a second manufacturing facility (in 2008) which gave us the capacity and cost structure to look at the traditional building insulation market," said Chris Blair, director of building and construction of Aspen Aerogels in North America.

Aspen Aeorgels says that its Spaceloft blankets have two to four times the insulating value per inch compared to fiberglass or foam. It's also relatively easy to work with, allows water vapor to pass through, and is fire resistant--a common demonstration of aerogels is to have a person fire a Bunsen burner below the aerogel while putting a hand on the top side.

Material company Cabot has also developed its Nanogel insulator for buildings. Another company, ThermaBlok, has had its insulation used in demonstration houses built during last year's Solar Decathlon home competition, where energy efficiency was a high priority.

Niche applications
Does that mean you should consider hanging aerogel blankets on your walls, floors, or attic to boost insulation? Not necessarily. The higher upfront still cost means that it's best suited for buildings with walls that don't have a cavity--typically formed by wood framing--that can be filled, said Blair.

Installing a blanket of aerogel insulation on a brick wall in housing project in Rhode Island last year.
(Credit: Apen Aeorogels)

The Rhode Island Housing Authority used Spaceloft during a renovation of a housing complex with 50 units in five brick buildings built in 1940s with no insulation. Contractors stapled the blankets of aerogel on the inside walls, screwed wall board on top of that, and then added a layer of plaster and paint. An advantage of this approach is that it wasn't too disruptive to people inside and added less than an inch to the interior walls, Blair said. The payback was just over five years when tax credits are figured in, according to Aspen Aerogels.

In other cases, contractors have used the material on superinsulated homes that are sealed from the outside, both over masonry and under shingles. On wood frame homes, thin strips of aerogel can be applied to studs to prevent what's called thermal bridging, where heat escapes through the walls' framing.

Aspen Aeorgels projects costs will come down but not dramatically in the next few years. Still, more stringent building codes means that the material can be a fit in more circumstances, said Blair. "Obviously, retrofits is the low-hanging fruit. As we get out feet wet, we're finding more applications new construction."

I want curtains made out of it. That would seem to be the best retrofit of all on older homes, covering aluminum frame single or double pane windows. You could make the curtains like pockets the aerogel slips inside, so you could change styles without replacing them.

Now this sounds interesting. While I have my heart set on using SIPs on my next (and hopefully last) house, this certainly is something to keep in mind if I do go with conventional framing. Just using it at the studs would hopefully keep the cost to a reasonable level.

Aspen Aerogel's version of aerogel stud-edge facer strips are being marketed under the name ThermaBlok. It's not cheap stuff, but for 3/8" of additional depth it puts an R3.3 break where you need it the most. 

From an insulation benefit point of view it's comparable to 1/2" iso or 3/4" XPS sheathing, but doesn't provide comparable air barrier or vapor retarding properties.

Cost-wise, you'll have to get it quoted, but don't hold your breath on 4x8-9 sheets or 8-9' wide rolls of it being affordable any time soon.  (Strips alone are expensive enough.)

Eliminating a 4'x6' window completely is worth about $12/year in MI. What does Aerogel cost for a window of this size?