The building sector accounts for a significant share of global energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, making the improvement of building envelope thermal performance an important strategy for reducing building energy demand. In this context, nanostructured aerogels, particularly silica aerogels, offer the potential to achieve high thermal resistance within limited thicknesses due to their nanoporous structure, low density, and low thermal conductivity. However, the effectiveness of these materials is not uniform across different climatic conditions, building components, and economic scenarios. Therefore, the present study aims to systematically and critically analyze research on the application of nanostructured aerogels in buildings and to identify the conditions under which the use of this technology provides the greatest performance benefits.
A systematic review was conducted based on the PRISMA framework through a structured search of scientific literature in the international databases Scopus and ScienceDirect. Studies were screened according to predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Relevant information, including aerogel type, product characteristics, building component, climatic conditions, thermal and energy performance indicators, technical limitations, and economic considerations, was extracted and comparatively analyzed. The analysis focused on identifying the relationship between aerogel performance and contextual factors rather than assuming uniform performance across different applications.
The findings indicate that the principal advantage of aerogels compared with many conventional insulation materials is their ability to provide high thermal resistance at substantially lower thicknesses. However, the magnitude of energy savings is strongly dependent on the type of aerogel product, building component, climate, and operational conditions. In cold climates, the reduction of heat loss represents a particularly important benefit, whereas in hot climates, the simultaneous control of heat transfer and solar radiation becomes more critical, particularly in transparent building systems. The review also identifies high initial costs, the brittleness of some aerogel products, and the energy-intensive nature of certain production processes as major barriers to wider adoption. At the same time, low-cost production methods, reinforced aerogel composites, and bio-based aerogels represent important directions for future technological development.
Based on the synthesis of the selected studies, this research proposes a context-based decision-making framework for selecting appropriate aerogel applications according to climate, building component, thickness limitations, required performance, and life-cycle cost considerations. The proposed framework emphasizes that aerogels should not be regarded as universally superior insulation solutions. Rather, their effectiveness depends on the compatibility between the characteristics of the selected product and the specific conditions and requirements of the building project. The findings provide a basis for more context-sensitive decisions regarding the application of nanostructured aerogels in high-performance building envelopes.