VACUUM INSULATION TECHNOLOGY FOR BUILDINGS – A COMPARATIVE LCA STUDY OF A SWEDISH MULTIFAMILY BUILDING

Author(s): Gudmundsson, K., Karami, P. and Sjöström, C.
Paper category: Conference
Book title: XIII International Conference on Durability of Building Materials and Components - XIII DBMC
Editor(s): Marco Quattrone, Vanderley M. John
Print ISBN: none
e-ISBN: 978-2-35158-149-0
Publication year: 2015
Pages: 222-230
Total Pages: 9
Language: English

Abstract: A significant share of the energy consumption in Sweden and Europe (about 40%) can
be related to the heating of buildings, about half of which can be related to the thermal losses through the envelope. An improved thermal insulation of new buildings and the existing building stock is therefore an important step towards reduced energy consumption. With traditional insulation materials, this will result in an increased transport volume, an added complexity in terms of detailing and the loss of living space area. With a thermal insulation capacity about 8-10 times that of traditional insulation materials, vacuum insulation panels, VIPs, might provide an interesting alternative. This study compares the environmental impact of different of VIPs and traditional thermal insulation and the relevance on a system level. This is done through a study of a typical Swedish multifamily building. The spatial properties together with material specifications of the Building Information Model are used to calculate the energy consumption and the carbon footprint of the building while investigating the sensitivity of the results to service life of the various components. The energy calculations are based on local climatic conditions while material data has been retrieved from the EPDs of the manufacturers.

Online publication: 2015
Publication Type: full_text
Public price (Euros): 0.00