CIDETEC Surface Engineering develops omniphobic coatings for buildings that will repel water and dirt

Thanks to the development of water-repellent cement, dirt-repellent glass, and building-integrated solar cells, the I-climabuilt project brings the emission-free building closer to reality.

CIDETEC Surface Engineering’s omniphobic coatings are an important component of the I-climabuilt initiative, which aims to reduce emissions in new buildings to near zero. To this end, at nearly the halfway stage of this project that started in March 2021, the partners are progressing with the development of various prototypes to test the research carried out.

Among the innovations made possible by the initiative are dirt-repellent glass, water-resistant cement, and omniphobic solar cells that may be integrated into structures. CIDETEC Surface Engineering is responsible for formulating and optimising the omniphobic coatings used in these elements, which will be tested on a real scale, once they have been successfully applied in the paint booth of the Gipuzkoa-based centre.

The various prototypes coated with the development optimised by CIDETEC for each case will be tested in real conditions in different climates where the livings labs installed for the project are located, ranging from the northern climate of Trondheim (Norway) to the Mediterranean climate of Amposta and Manresa, as well as the rainy Dresden in Germany.

Within this process, at CIDETEC Surface Engineering, a glass with a surface area of 3 m² has already been coated with an omniphobic formulation in the paint booth.

Once this and the rest of the prototypes developed within the I-climabuilt project, which has a budget of €16M and a consortium of 16 leading research centres and 11 SMEs, have been tested, their energy efficiency will be evaluated and compared with existing solutions to demonstrate their effectiveness.