High-tech building insulation: EU research project INNOVIP to develop new technologies for long-lasting and cost-effective vacuum insulation panels

The demands from Brussels are ambitious: by 2050, office and private buildings in Europe must lower their CO2 footprint by around 80 %, compared to 1990 levels. Optimal thermal insulation will play a key role in achieving this target. Vacuum insulation panels (VIPs) are particularly promising in this regard, but are still very expensive and difficult to work with. Moreover, to ensure a high level of market acceptance, the lifetime of the panels has to be improved.

The INNOVIP project, which has received around Euro 5 million of EU funding, aims to solve these problems through innovative technologies and the development of new materials. The international project team led by the Munich-based Forschungsinstitut für Wärmeschutz e. V. (research institute for thermal insulation, known as FIW Munich) will be working towards a further improvement in the efficiency of the VIPs as well as the development of features such as anti-mould coatings and increased fire resistance.

Effective insulation systems in buildings are key to optimising their energy performance. Vacuum insulation panels, or VIPs, are an extremely effective and space-saving solution. They utilise the fact that a vacuum is an extremely good insulator. VIPs comprise a porous core material encased in an airtight envelope. The air trapped in these layers is evacuated and the envelope is then heat-sealed. The core material prevents the insulation panels from crumpling when the air is evacuated.

Currently, vacuum insulation panels generally comprise a core of pressed pyrogenic silica or mineral fibres. Using a new type of protective envelope and alternative fillers – for example perlite – the INNOVIP consortium, which includes research institutes and companies from seven EU countries and Israel, aims to enhance the competitiveness of this highly-efficient solution.

Specifically, the project partners have defined the following goals:
- to improve the thermal performance by at least 25%
- to achieve a minimum standardised service life of 25 years with minimum deterioration
- to develop an innovative production process incorporating simplified wrapping procedures, and through this to reduce manufacturing costs by 30% compared with those of conventional vacuum insulation panels
- to reduce insulation material costs by around 30% compared to established vacuum insulation systems and conventional insulating materials (based on the cost per square metre of thermally equivalent insulation systems)
- to provide additional functionality and durability including resistance to deleterious effects such as mould growth

Source: http://cordis.europa.eu/news/rcn/138755_en.html?isPermaLink=true?WT.mc_i...