VIP and their applications in buildings: a review

The properties of insulation materials used in the building envelope have a strong influence on thermal performance of buildings, in particular the U-value of their walls/roofs. This paper summarises current research and developments of vacuum insulation panels (VIP), which provide a quantum leap forward in thermal insulation, offering exciting opportunities for both new and retrofitted buildings. Use of VIP not only provides excellent thermal performance to meet the requirements of building regulations, as well as offering a great potential to reduce energy consumption in buildings, but also increases the available internal area of buildings. However, a real indication of overall thermal performance in use must take into account the thermal bridging that occurs around the edges of the panel caused by the construction details. The performance is also dependent on the maintenance of a vacuum against the influences of envelope permeability, outgassing, moisture and physical damage. More research and development is needed in the practical application of VIP in building solutions.