Why use Vacuum Insulation Panels in Retrofitting?

10 September 2013

Adrian Pargeter

Kingspan Insulation LTD

1892 The Vacuum Flask is invented by Sir James Dewar

1930 The first Vacuum Insulation Panel (VIP) emerges

1970s The first commercial applications for VIPs

1999 US Department of Housing and Urban Development evaluated

the market potential for VIPs in residential buildings

2005 Low-energy building in Munich is the first building in the world

more than two storeys high to feature VIPs in the facade

2012 Kingspan Insulation launches Optim-R

Timeline of events

Thermal Conductivity 0.007 W/m.k (aged design value)

Core

Optimum performance rigid vacuum insulation panel with a microporpous core which is evacuated encased and sealed in a thin, gas-tight envelope

Standard Product Width (mm) 300 – 600*

Standard Product Length (mm) 300 – 1200*

Product Thickness (mm) 20 - 60

Kingspan’s Optim-R

Comparative Thicknesses

Traditional Materials

40 mm

100 mm

130 mm

* R-value of 6.000 m2.K/W

220 mm

Flooring Applications:

Solid concrete based floors

Beam and dense block ground floors

Considerations:

Floor to ceiling height

Thick insulation may mean ground floor door lintels, radiators and skirting boards all need to be raised.

Saves installing a replacement concrete floor (and time associated eg. drying etc.)

Edwardian house example:

Solid concrete based floor (perimeter / area = 0.3)

Just 20mm of a VIP product with a λ (thermal conductivity) of 0.007 would achieve U value of 0.20 W/m2.K

You would need 95mm of EPS to achieve the same U-value

Flooring

Insulant thickness U-values W/m2 k

20 0.20

25 0.17

30 0.16

40 0.13

50 0.11

60 0.09

30+40 0.08

40+40 0.08

Applications: Solid and cavity brick wall Solid blockwork Variety of finishes:

• Render • Tiles • Brick slips

Considerations Space around the exterior of the building – tight space on a site

Less remedial work to the outer skin of the building. Eg. eaves may need extending if insulation is too thick.

Thicker insulation would reduce the amount of daylight coming into the building

External Wall Insulation

Applications: Green roof covering –

Dense Concrete Deck with Suspended Ceiling

Metal / Concrete Deck Roof with No Ceiling

Concrete / Dense Concrete / Timber Deck

Considerations Planning restrictions Sleek design Maintain and even transition

between indoor and outdoor levels

Roofing and Terraces

Roofing and Terraces

Future / Other Applications

Rainscreen

Internal Wall Insulation

Inverted Roofs

Window Reveals

Fulfill Cavity

Timber frame

Floating Floors

Thinner Solutions

Problem Solver

Design Service Has an insulating performance up to 5 times better

than other commonly available insulating materials.

Low U-values can be easily achieved

Please contact our technical office for any queries:

+44 (0) 1544 387 382 technical@kingspaninsulation.co.uk

Benefits