Vacuum insulation panels (VIP) today are mainly flat elements. They consist of an open porous core material and a gas-tight envelope. The core material has to be open porous, so it can be evacuated, and it has to withstand the atmospheric pressure (10’000 kg/m2). The thermal conductivity in vacuum insulation panels is about five to ten times lower than in conventional, non-evacuated insulation such as mineral or glass fibres or organic foams > more

The motivation for examining the applicability of VIP in buildings on an international level (Annex 39) is its huge potential in reducing CO₂-emissions:

• In 1997, about 25% of the energy consumption in the EU came from room heating
• In 1995, there were roughly 150 million dwellings in the EU-15. 50% of this stock is not insulated.

vip-bau.ch is a group of independent R&D performer founded in 2000. The group aims at introducing VIP in the building sector by doing research, development and technology transfer to potential users of VIP. The activities of the group are mainly funded by the Swiss Federal Office of Energy.

The group had a leading role in the International Energy Agency research programm called “High Performance Thermal Insulation” (HiPTI, Annex 39)The members of vip-bau.ch are:

• Dr.Eicher+Pauli AG: Engineering company, active in technology management
• EMPA: Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing
• fhnw: University of Applied Sciences, Muttenz

Components of a VIP. The core-bag provides mechanical stability for handling and protects the welding area from being polluted by core-powder.

(foto: va-Q-tec)

The potential impact of vacuum insulation on CO2-emissions is huge.

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VIP-Partners: fhnw Institute of Energy in Building, EMPA Building Physics, Dr. Eicher+Pauli AG

Tel. +41 61 927 42 63, info@vip-bau.ch