The TEXO system, which comes from Italy, is an incredibly neat way to use tensile fabric as a user friendly overcladding – with the cost significantly amortised by reducing energy requirements.

A cool way to cut costs

So how do you save energy with TEXO? Well here are five ways for a start.

1. Solar heat gain, and glare for that matter, are a major problem in glazed buildings. By overcladding with a mesh fabric, that still allows views out, research by Milan University has shown potential savings of 47% in the energy required for cooling. See the German Diechmannstores image above.

2. Heat loss can also be slashed by trapping a layer of air between the façade and the overcladding. The same research points to savings of up to 42% in energy for heating.

3. Hold that demolition ball - you’re saving shed loads of embedded energy simply by not knocking down one building and erecting another. Refurbishment in the current economic climate is the name of the game. See more facelifts.

4. Outside to Inside. Why not cover that draughty courtyard or create a covered internal street by spanning over it with TEXO fitted with a clear ETFE foil. Heat loss from the building is reduced and a useful breakout space is created without cutting out useful daylight. See the Nottingham University Samworth Academy case study.

And coming soon...

5. Solar power generation – using thin film photovoltaic fabrics provides exciting new options for integrating solar power generation. Testing of very large, lightweight arrays is underway we understand and the results so far are very positive.

We’re sold on the benefits. We think, over the next few years, a lot of other people will be too.