When NASA scientists developed a new material that was highly resistant to cosmic radiation, it seems unlikely they ever considered their breakthrough would provide roofing material for distribution warehouses.

However, the material will soon be used to create rooflights for Chatterley Valley in Staffordshire. Panels made of ETFE, which is a recyclable material, have never been used on such a large scale on industrial buildings before.

Fluoro-polymers, the best-known example of which is Teflon, were first developed in the USA in the 1930s by chemicals and science company Dupont. In the early days of space travel a thermoplastic version was developed by the company in conjunction with NASA to provide insulation for electrical systems.

ETFE is a transparent foil which, like Teflon, has non-stick, selfcleaning properties. It is very light and highly resistant to tearing. The technology was first developed for architectural use in the late 1970s and early 1980s,

and was initially used in the leisure industry to create large transparent structures covering swimming pools.

However, as it became apparent that the material had a very long useful life - estimated to be more than 50 years - it began to be used in buildings with longer life spans. Perhaps the best known example in the UK are the 'biomes' of The Eden Project in Cornwall which enclose plant habitats from all over the world.

The park at Chatterley Valley will utilise a system known as Texlon ETFE, developed by Vector Foiltec. This consists of three layers of foil, stretched over a lightweight aluminium frame and inflated with air to produce a rigid structure.

Gazeley was introduced to the possibilities of ETFE by their renewable technology partner, Solarcentury. The rooflights will include solar photovoltaic laminates welded into the outer cushion of the ETFE panels.

The rooflights will generate 80mwh of power and will save 32 tonnes of CO2 per year at the 33,900 sq m (365,000 sq ft) distribution centre.

The use of ETFE has several advantages over standard roofing materials. Not only is it recyclable, it uses 50 to 200 times less embodied energy in its manufacture than other transparent roofing systems, significantly reducing the building's carbon footprint. It is also 25 to 50 times lighter than the alternatives, which means that it does not need heavy support structures.

It is also possible to produce ETFE with a variable skin, which can cut down on light pollution at night, while allowing plenty of natural light into the building during the day. This will reduce significantly the overall energy demand of the building.

It is possible that an entire warehouse envelope could be made using ETFE in the future.

Ben Morris, Managing Director of Vector Foiltec believes that ETFE roofs could eventually become widespread in logistics buildings, 'Gazeley has taken a large step that will lead to much greater use of ETFE, and this could drive down production costs,' he predicts.