The low weight and high spanning capacity of ETFE foil when compared to other translucent cladding materials has potential to reduce the weight of supporting structures and energy embodied in their construction. This paper compares the embodied energy in ETFE cushion panels of different shape, size and configuration, relates these to some built examples. The results are compared with the estimated embodied energy of some built examples of ETFE roofs and from other studies. Factors that influence these are reviewed.
