Thermal insulation, applied like paint

Paint-like application, nanotechnology thermal insulation coating.

GWR NANO INSULATION® is a liquid, site-tintable thermal insulation coating. Its thermal performance is delivered by hollow glass-ceramic microspheres uniformly dispersed within a polymer binder. In comparative field testing, energy consumption was 43% lower than in an uninsulated reference house.

Climate imperative

Embodied carbon is an increasingly decisive factor in the built environment’s decarbonisation pathway.

37% Share of global energy-related CO₂ emissions produced by the built environment (IEA, 2023)
75% Share of EU buildings rated energy-inefficient (European Commission)
< 1% Annual energy renovation rate across the EU building stock

Buildings are responsible for approximately 37% of global energy-related CO₂ emissions (IEA, 2023), covering both operational and embodied carbon. Embodied carbon covers the total CO₂-equivalent released across the manufacture, transport, installation, maintenance and end-of-life disposal of building materials – a category that operational energy efficiency programmes, and most building energy certificates, do not address. As building energy standards tighten and operational carbon falls, the embodied share rises proportionally: for new buildings, half of future CO₂ emissions will come from embodied carbon, half from operations (Dodge World Green Building Trends Report, 2021). The share is highest precisely where operational demand has already been minimised.

The regulatory framework has formalised this relationship. The EU Taxonomy and the green financing programme of the Magyar Nemzeti Bank, Hungary’s central bank, treat Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Global Warming Potential (GWP) calculation as mandatory requirements; Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)-based embodied carbon data is increasingly a condition of project financing. The most pressing embodied carbon challenge lies in the existing stock: roughly 85% of the 2050 European building stock has already been built, and the annual renovation rate remains below 1%. The EU Renovation Wave programme aims to double that rate – but a technological and economic gap persists between policy ambition and deliverable solutions.

GWR NANO INSULATION® is a building insulation solution designed for the energy retrofit and renovation constraints of the existing building stock. Its liquid application, 1 mm dry-film working thickness and typically scaffold-free delivery involve significantly less material input than conventional EPS-based insulation systems. The 43% reduction measured in the Dunabogdány comparative field test directly lowers the building’s operational energy demand – recorded on identically built reference houses, at the same indoor temperature, with calibrated instruments. Against a 10 cm EPS-insulated reference house the same testing recorded 9.5% in winter; under summer cooling conditions, against the same reference house, the measured figure is 32%.

Applied like paint. Certified thermal performance.

  1. 01

    Cost-effective solution

    No structural modification, mechanical anchoring system or additional structural load is required; the 1 mm dry-film coating is applied directly onto the existing substrate, without demolition, surface restoration or long construction downtime on site.

  2. 02

    Fast application

    Applied by airless spray, typically without scaffolding or specialist access equipment on low and medium-height buildings; the complete facade of an average-sized, single-storey family home can be coated within 3 working days by a 3-person crew.

  3. 03

    20-year installer warranty

    The contracting applicator gives every client the same 20-year warranty on the work carried out, recorded in the works contract. Its scope does not vary with the size of the project or with the identity of the client – every client is entitled to it on identical terms.

Real measurements – real results

Consumption reduction measured in comparative field testing.

43 %

Energy saving

Versus an uninsulated reference house, measured on identically built houses

32 %

Summer energy saving

Versus a 10 cm EPS-insulated reference house, measured in cooling operation

9.5 %

Winter energy saving

Versus a 10 cm EPS-insulated reference house, at the same indoor temperature

Measured mean power input (2021)

Test house 15–26 January 1–8 February
GWR NANO INSULATION® (1.0–1.1 mm)322.1 W189.6 W
EPS, 10 cm356.2 W208.9 W
Uninsulated577.1 W333.1 W

Three identically built test houses at Dunabogdány, each held at an indoor temperature of 24 °C. Temperatures were logged by calibrated Testo Saveris 2 T2 data loggers and a separate weather station, and electricity consumption by MID-certified meters; the table gives the mean power input derived from it. The measurements were taken by the testing and calibration laboratory of MEOLIT Kft. under external monitoring by TÜV SÜD Industrie Service GmbH, report 3229268.

Product properties

A single coating, specified everywhere it has to perform.

01 – Adhesion

Excellent adhesion

Bonds to metal, concrete, brick, wood, plastic, glass and plasterboard without a primer coat – broad substrate compatibility across complex building assemblies. Pull-off adhesion to the substrate measures 0.2–0.8 MPa under DIN EN ISO 4624.

02 – Mechanics

Flexible and durable

The coating flexibly follows substrate thermal and mechanical deformation without cracking – it takes up movement from substrate thermal expansion. Impact resistance is 2 Nm (DIN EN ISO 6272-1), elastic modulus 17 MPa (ISO 527-3).

03 – Thermal bridge

Junction detailing

At window and door frame junctions, reveals and structural connections it forms a continuous, joint-free layer – including where board insulation is awkward to fit. At 1 mm the dry film does not restrict the operation of the opening.

04 – Vapour

Vapour-permeable

A medium vapour-permeability coating that does not close off the moisture behaviour of the existing wall assembly, classified V2 under EN 1062-1. Water vapour transmission is 40 g/m²/day, an Sd of 0.40 m (ISO 7783, 0.84 mm film).

05 – Climate

Weatherproof and washable

A surface resistant to UV radiation, precipitation and extreme thermal cycling. At the 720-hour interim assessment of the 3,000-hour artificial weathering programme, no colour change was observed (ISO 11341, ISO 16474-3).

06 – Anticorrosion

Anti-corrosion protection

In a two-year immersion field study the coated metal surfaces stayed free of corrosion, while uncoated reference surfaces held alongside them corroded severely - immersed throughout, with four brief interruptions.

07 – Antibacterial

Tested antibacterial activity

In accredited laboratory testing the surface colony count fell by more than 5.1 log against E. coli; against S. aureus the reduction stayed below 1 log, so the coating does not qualify as an antibacterial surface (ISO 22196, Fraunhofer IPA).

08 – Fire

Tested fire classification

Accredited fire testing verifies limited flame spread and minimal smoke development in both the European and North American classification systems: D-s2, d0 to MSZ EN 13501-1 (ÉMI O-34/2021), and Class A under ASTM E84, at FSI 20 and SDI 10.

09 – Finish

Tintable on site

Compatible with acrylic pigment systems – the target colour blends directly into the coating mix. No separate decorative layer required. At 1 mm dry film the coating leaves ornamental elements and profiled surfaces visually unchanged.

Operating principle

How does it work?

GWR NANO INSULATION®'s nanotechnology-based structural design suppresses conductive, convective and radiative heat transfer simultaneously – through a combined microsphere system and a functional polymer binder. Heat loss measured on real building assemblies is almost never purely conductive: most conventional bulk insulation materials are optimised solely for the solid phase’s thermal conductivity, while a material share of the convective and radiative component remains unaddressed. The coating’s structural architecture – closed-cell, hollow microspheres embedded in a polymer matrix – unites suppression of all three mechanisms within a single, 1 mm layer, achieving a performance level a conventional material could only approach at substantially greater thickness.

  1. 01
    Conduction barrier

    Hollow glass-ceramic and gas-filled polymer microspheres jointly reduce the thermal conductivity of the solid phase. The hollow interior interrupts the conduction pathway, since the trapped gas conducts orders of magnitude less than the solid material it displaces from the layer.

  2. 02
    Convection barrier

    The closed shell structure of the microspheres and polymer binder prevents convective air movement within the coating. There is no interconnected air channel, since the continuous binder matrix individually encapsulates every microsphere without gaps, each cell far too small to sustain convection.

  3. 03
    Radiation barrier

    The glass-ceramic and high-refractive-index titanium dioxide content reflects and scatters infrared radiation, reducing radiative heat flux. The particles reflect incident radiation via Mie scattering before it can be absorbed and converted to heat within the coating or the wall surface behind it.

Technical specification

Key technical data.

Property Value Reference
Physical properties
Density (liquid state, 20 °C)
0.645 g/cm³
MSZ ISO 2811-1:2011 · ÉMI-TÜV SÜD R-804152
Nominal dry density
0.55 g/cm³
Efectis FTST24823 test report
Non-volatile content (105 °C, 1 h)
47.5% (m/m)
MSZ EN ISO 3251:2009 · ÉMI-TÜV SÜD R-804152
Ignition residue (600 °C)
20.4% (m/m)
MSZ EN ISO 14680-2:2006 · ÉMI-TÜV SÜD R-804152
Viscosity
1,225 mPa·s
DIN EN ISO 2884-2:2003
Service temperature range
−60 °C – +260 °C
Manufacturer’s recommendation
Material property stability (2016–2021)
No significant difference from the 2016 approval values
TÜV SÜD report 3229268 – density (ISO 2811), thermogravimetry (ISO 11358), rotational viscometry (DIN 53019) and FT-IR
Hygrothermal properties
Water vapour transmission rate (WVTR), 1 mm layer
40 g/m²/day
Manufacturer’s declaration, 27 November 2024
Sd – equivalent air layer thickness (0.84 mm film)
0.40 m (V2 – medium)
DIN EN ISO 7783:2019-02 / EN 1062-1:2004 – Dr. Robert Murjahn-Institut (ISO 17025:2018), TÜV SÜD 3229268
Field test – TÜV SÜD report 3229268
Heating demand reduction – versus an uninsulated reference house
43%
Measurement – testing and calibration laboratory of MEOLIT Kft., January–February 2021
Heating demand reduction – versus a 10 cm EPS-insulated reference house
9.5%
Measurement – testing and calibration laboratory of MEOLIT Kft., January–February 2021
Application in the test
1.0–1.1 mm, airless spray
Graco Ultra Max II, 80–120 bar operating pressure, onto existing render
Mechanical properties
Adhesion to substrate
0.2–0.8 MPa
DIN EN ISO 4624:2016
Young’s modulus
17 MPa
DIN EN ISO 527-3:2018
Tensile strength
0.135 MPa
DIN EN ISO 527-3:2018
Shrinkage
7.4%
DIN EN ISO 527-3:2018
Impact resistance
2 Nm
DIN EN ISO 6272-1:2011
Weathering resistance – Xenon arc
No colour change and no surface defects on any of the three specimens
ISO 11341:2004 – 720-hour interim assessment of the 3,000-hour programme; stainless steel, concrete brick and free film
Weathering resistance – UV fluorescent lamp + condensation
No colour change; small surface bubbles appeared on stainless steel and free film, none on concrete brick
ISO 16474-3:2013 – 720-hour interim assessment; the report attributes the bubbles to 50 °C and above 95% relative humidity
Fire performance
Reaction to fire classification (ÉMI, Hungary)
D-s2, d0 – up to 1 mm layer thickness and 620 g/m² mass per area
MSZ EN 13501-1:2019 · MSZ EN ISO 11925-2:2020 · MSZ EN 13823:2020 · MSZ EN 13238:2010 – ÉMI classification report O-34/2021, 12 July 2021
Flame spread class (ASTM E84)
Class A – FSI: 20 · SDI: 10
ASTM E84-23d – Efectis Era Avrasya FTST24823 (TÜRKAK AB-0556-T, ISO/IEC 17025:2017), 6 August 2024; on type X gypsum board, 1 mm
Health & safety
VOC content measured in the material
Formaldehyde 1 · trimethylsilanol 5.6 · trichloromethane 2.1 · N-butyl ether 3 · butyl butanoate 2.7 mg/kg (14.4 mg/kg in total – none of the components is hazardous at these quantities, each stays below its hazard classification threshold, and their combined quantity is orders of magnitude below the VOC content permitted in interior wall paints.)
ÉMI-TÜV SÜD test report R-804152 – to ISO 16000-6:2004, HS-GC-MS; accreditation NAT-1-1351/2015
Components not detected
A further 12 VOCs below the limit of quantification (Limit of quantification 0.1 mg/kg – toluene, p- and o-xylene, 2-butoxyethanol, cyclohexanone, acetic acid and others)
ÉMI-TÜV SÜD test report R-804152
Antibacterial activity – E. coli
> 5.1-log reduction
ISO 22196:2011 · Fraunhofer IPA WI 2404-1514
Antibacterial activity – S. aureus
< 1-log reduction
ISO 22196:2011 · Fraunhofer IPA WI 2404-1514
Certifications and registrations

Accredited thermal testing, verified performance data.

TÜV SÜD

External monitoring report (3229268) – site acceptance and metering supervision for the comparative field measurement at Dunabogdány.

NATO NSN

NSN 8030-51-000-9542 – the product is listed in the NATO procurement catalogue. A stock number is a registration identifier, not a certificate.

ISO 9001:2015

Quality-management system covering product development, manufacturing and supply chain. Traceable and auditable quality assurance.

ISO 14001:2015

Environmental-management system governing material use, waste handling and emissions control throughout the manufacturing process.

Frequently asked questions

Questions and answers.

What temperature range does it cover?

The coating can be applied across a service temperature range of −60 °C – +260 °C, on industrial pipework, roofs and facades alike.

How thick is the GWR NANO INSULATION® coating layer?

The dried coating is 1 mm thick. No primer coat or structural modification is required.

How many countries is it available in?

The product is currently available in 45 countries – across the European Union, the Middle East and Vietnam. Availability rests on a network of contracted distributors and applicators who also carry out the works on site, since the coating calls for airless spray equipment and a crew trained to use it. Procurement is further supported by the NATO Stock Number, which allows the product to be ordered through allied defence logistics channels.

What energy savings have been measured?

In comparative field testing under TÜV SÜD external monitoring (Dunabogdány, January–February 2021), the coated test house used 43% less heating energy than an uninsulated reference house and 9.5% less than a 10 cm EPS-insulated one; under summer cooling conditions, against the same reference house, the measured saving is 32%. The measurements were taken by the testing and calibration laboratory of MEOLIT Kft., on three identically built houses each held at 24 °C.

Can GWR NANO INSULATION® be applied to heritage buildings?

At 1 mm dry film thickness the coating does not alter the building’s visible appearance, ornamental elements or profiled surfaces – which is often an advantage. Conventional board insulation, several centimetres thick, would obscure arched window frames and cornice profiles entirely. Work on a listed building nonetheless requires heritage consent, obtained project by project. A documented reference installation exists on a heritage-protected building in Gödöllő, Hungary.

Is regular maintenance required after application?

The manufacturer specifies no regular maintenance. The coating forms a washable surface resistant to UV radiation, precipitation and temperature swings; at the 720-hour interim assessment of the 3,000-hour weathering programme no colour change was observed. It stays vapour-open – the measured Sd value is 0.40 m, class V2 (medium) to DIN EN ISO 7783 – so the wall goes on drying outwards and no moisture accumulates behind the coating. The surface is best checked as part of routine facade inspections.

What surfaces can it be applied to?

The coating bonds without a primer to metal, concrete, brick, wood, plastic, glass and plasterboard – this broad substrate compatibility is what makes it viable across complex building assemblies using mixed materials, in new-build and retrofit projects alike.

What warranty does it carry?

The contracting applicator gives every client the same 20-year warranty on the work carried out. It applies to every client on identical terms and its scope does not vary with the size of the project; its content is recorded in the works contract, which every client receives.

Where has it been applied at scale?

Among documented large-scale applications, 113,800 m² were applied across Lusail National Stadium and Al-Thumama Stadium for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, where the 1 mm coating replaced a 15–30 cm conventional insulation layer. A Vietnam field test recorded 43.02% average cooling energy savings and a peak single-day saving of 53.56%. Reference projects on residential buildings, panel blocks and heritage-protected properties in Hungary are also documented.

Can it be applied without scaffolding?

Typically yes, on low and medium-height buildings. Airless spray technology enables application without scaffolding or specialist access equipment on surfaces that are safely reachable from ground level or by ladder. Taller buildings or hard-to-reach facade sections may require scaffolding or an aerial work platform for safe access. The full exterior facade of a standard, low/medium-height family home can be coated within 3 working days by a 3-person crew.

What certifications does it hold?

The product is covered by a TÜV SÜD external monitoring report (no. 3229268) and holds a NATO Stock Number (8030-51-000-9542), and is certified to ISO 9001:2015 quality management and ISO 14001:2015 environmental management. Its fire classification is D-s2, d0 to the relevant MSZ EN standards, classified in ÉMI report O-34/2021; ASTM E84-23d testing (Efectis FTST24823 report) confirms Class A flame spread (FSI 20, SDI 10). The VOC content of the material is documented in ÉMI-TÜV SÜD test report R-804152, measured to ISO 16000-6:2004; the components detected total 14.4 mg/kg, orders of magnitude below the VOC content permitted in interior wall paints. Full test reports and certification documents are available on request.

Is it suitable for energy retrofit projects?

Yes. The coating is engineered for the technological and economic constraints of retrofitting the existing building stock – applied without demolition or long construction downtime, typically without scaffolding on low and medium-height buildings, with a consumption reduction measured in field testing. Because it requires no structural alteration, it can be used where conventional insulation systems are technically or economically unviable. The saving actually achieved depends on the building’s construction, orientation and condition, and is worth assessing case by case. Eligibility for any national or EU funding scheme should be verified against that programme’s own rules, in consultation with the contractor.

Request a free, personalised assessment.

Send us your building’s basic details and we’ll come back with a tailored savings estimate and quote. TÜV SÜD test report and technical data sheet available on request.