HeiQ Xpectra, a revolutionary heat-reflecting coating, empowers architects and builders to achieve the ambitious Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) goals, which mandates dramatic improvements in energy efficiency across more than 100 million buildings in the EU already by 2033.

Simple, rapid, and low-cost thermal performance improvement

HeiQ Xpectra is a transparent heat-reflecting coating that improves a building’s thermal performance by reducing the U-value of walls by up to 25% ¹⁾ with just one application. Unlike traditional retrofitting methods, this water vapor-permeable coating maintains the building’s original aesthetic while enhancing both energy efficiency and thermal comfort.

“HeiQ Xpectra is a disruptive innovation in thermal insulation technology. By offering a simple, cost-effective, and highly efficient solution, we are making the seemingly impossible EPBD goals achievable. Improving the energy efficiency of more than 100 million buildings by 2033 would be impossible to achieve by traditional methods,” says Carlo Centonze, CEO of HeiQ Group. “It’s an honor to introduce this transformative wall coating, developed in collaboration with LEONHARD KURZ and Franken Maxit (a joint venture with St. Gobain Group), and supported by Germany’s Federal Ministry of Education and Research.”

Experience HeiQ Xpectra at BAU 2025

HeiQ invites architects and builders to visit their booth at BAU 2025 in Munich to experience HeiQ Xpectra firsthand. Learn about this revolutionary heat-reflecting coating at HeiQ booth A3.133, the Franken Maxit booth A1.240, and the LEONHARD KURZ booth A2.312 to see its effect through the lens of a thermal camera. Experience firsthand how HeiQ Xpectra transforms energy efficiency, offering a breakthrough solution for sustainable building retrofits.

The transparent heat-reflecting coating HeiQ Xpectra will be available in Germany under the Franken Maxit brand “maxit thermX”. Globally, HeiQ Xpectra is available under its own brand, and we are seeking distribution partners to expand its reach.

How does it work?

HeiQ Xpectra utilizes an embedded micrometer-thick network of transparent precious metal wires in a silicate binder to reduce thermal emissivity to as low as ε = 0.26 ²⁾. Applied at just 90 g/m² using standard spray equipment, it reflects up to 74% of heat radiation, effectively reducing heat loss during winter months and enhancing insulation performance.

Dr. Jochen Manara, Head of the Advanced Thermal Management Group at the Center for Applied Energy Research (CAE), elaborated: “The advanced low-e coating technology behind HeiQ Xpectra is a testament to years of research and collaboration between HeiQ and CAE. This innovation lowers emissivity considerably and improves U-values by up to 25%.”

Key benefits:

• Transparent yet effective: Maintains the building’s visual integrity while significantly reducing radiative heat loss, without reducing living space
• High thermal efficiency: Lowers emissivity to ε = 0.26, improving U-values by up to 25%
• Water vapor permeable: Ensures breathability with an s_d value < 0.01 m ³⁾
• Easy and safe application: Applied with standard spray equipment, using minimal material (90 g/m²)
• Durable and stable: No color change observed after 1,000 hours of QUV testing
• Environmentally conscious: Minimizes material usage and contributes to CO₂ emission reductions

Integrated into WUFI^® for seamless planning

HeiQ Xpectra is preloaded into the WUFI^® software that allows realistic calculation of the transient coupled one- and two-dimensional heat and moisture transport in walls and other multi-layer building components exposed to natural weather, enabling users to calculate improvements in performance metrics such as U-values. Two variants, “Thermal Reflective Coating – HeiQ Xpectra 0.7” and “Thermal Reflective Coating – HeiQ Xpectra 1.2”, are available in WUFI® Pro 7, along with their Maxit-branded equivalents, “maxit thermX IR Lasur 0.7” and “maxit thermX IR Lasur 1.2”.

  

1. Center for Applied Energy Research (CAE): Calculations conducted according to DIN EN ISO 6946.
2. Center for Applied Energy Research (CAE): Thermal emissivity measurements, Report CAE – 1024 b (Oct 2024).
3. Fraunhofer IBP: Water vapor permeability measured under DIN EN ISO 7783, Report HoFM-054/2024.