Chalmers Energy Conference 2013

High performance thermal

insulation materials
Reducing energy use in buildings

Pär Johansson
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Building Technology

High performance
Pär Johansson 2013-05-16
2013-05-16 thermal insulation
 Chalmers Energy Conference 2013

Different thermal insulation materials

45
Thermal conductivity

40
35
30
(mW/mK)

25
20
15
10
5
0

High performance
Pär Johansson 2013-05-16 thermal insulation
 Chalmers Energy Conference 2013

Aerogel

High performance
Pär Johansson 2013-05-16 thermal insulation
 Chalmers Energy Conference 2013

Aerogel

Monolithic Granules

High performance
Pär Johansson 2013-05-16 thermal insulation
 Chalmers Energy Conference 2013

Mainly used in composites

Polymer blanket

Lime mortar High performance

Pär Johansson 2013-05-16 thermal insulation
 Chalmers Energy Conference 2013

District heating pipes

• Reduced losses 15-20%
• No change after 1 year

High performance
Pär Johansson 2013-05-16 thermal insulation
 Chalmers Energy Conference 2013

Vacuum insulation panels

• Fumed silica: 20 mW/(m·K)

• VIP: 4 mW/(m·K)
 7-8 mW/(m·K) after 25 years
High performance
Pär Johansson 2013-05-16 thermal insulation
 Chalmers Energy Conference 2013

From cryogenics to buildings

• 1930 first patent (Germany) Refrigerated transports
• 1963 more specified patent (USA)
• 1990’s replaces CFCs
• 1998 facade in Germany

Refrigerators, vending machines

Source: va-Q-tec

Buildings

Source: Panasonic
Source: ZAE Bayern
High performance
Pär Johansson 2013-05-16 thermal insulation
 Chalmers Energy Conference 2013

Research question
• Energy use should be reduced by 50% in 2050

• Listed buildings limits the possible solutions

• Novel thermal insulation materials could reduce the energy use

while preserving the features of the building

High performance
Pär Johansson 2013-05-16 thermal insulation
 Chalmers Energy Conference 2013

The Swedish building stock

50 0.7
45
0.6

U-value of exterior wall

40
% of building stock

35 0.5
30 0.4
25
20 0.3
15 0.2
10
0.1
5
0 0

Year of construction Year of construction

Boverket. (2010). Energi i bebyggelsen - tekniska egenskaper och
beräkningar - resultat från projektet BETSI. Karlskrona, Sweden:
Boverket.
High performance
Pär Johansson 2013-05-16 thermal insulation
 Laboratory study Chalmers Energy Conference 2013

Interior
insulation
• Homogenous brick wall,
250 mm thick, 3x3 m
• Four wooden beam ends
• Sun and rain
• Simulations
Interior plaster/
adjustment layer
Wooden floor beams
100x225 mm (4x9 in.)
Homogenous brick
wall 380 mm (15 in.)
VIP e.g. 20 mm (0.8 in.)

200 mm (8 in.)

High performance
Pär Johansson 2013-05-16 thermal insulation
 Chalmers Energy Conference 2013

Case study building

• Landshövdingehus from 1930, retrofitted in late 1970s

Reference Test wall

110 m2

High performance
Pär Johansson 2013-05-16 thermal insulation
 Chalmers Energy Conference 2013

U-value dependent on VIP

thickness
1
0,9
0,8
U-värde [W/m2K]

0,7
0,6
0,5
0,4
0,3
0,2
0,1
0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
d VIP [mm]

High performance
Pär Johansson 2013-05-16 thermal insulation
 Chalmers Energy Conference 2013

The Swedish building stock

Case study
50 0.7
45
0.6

U-value of exterior wall

40
% of building stock

35 0.5
Punctured VIP
30 0.4
25 Thermal
20 0.3 bridges
15 0.2
10
0.1 With VIP
5
0 0

Year of construction Year of construction

Boverket. (2010). Energi i bebyggelsen - tekniska egenskaper och
beräkningar - resultat från projektet BETSI. Karlskrona, Sweden:
Boverket.
High performance
Pär Johansson 2013-05-16 thermal insulation
 Chalmers Energy Conference 2013

Case study building

Mineral wool VIP

High performance
Pär Johansson 2013-05-16 thermal insulation
 Chalmers Energy Conference 2013

Flat roofs and terraces

Mineral wool 100 mm

Same level

Willems, W. and Schild, K. (2005). Vacuum Insulated

Constructions in Detail. Proceedings of the 7th
Symposium on Building Physics in the Nordic Countries,
June 13-15, 2005, Reykjavík, Iceland. pp. 928-936.

High performance
Pär Johansson 2013-05-16 thermal insulation
 Chalmers Energy Conference 2013

Finally
• Super insulation
+ Limited space
 Terraces
 Bay windows
 Window niche
+ Listed buildings
+ High land price
+ Prefabricated elements
– Higher costs
– Durability
– Service life

High performance
Pär Johansson 2013-05-16 thermal insulation
 Chalmers Energy Conference 2013

Finally
• Super insulation
+ Limited space
 Terraces
 Bay windows
 Window niche
+ Listed buildings
+ High land price
+ Prefabricated elements
– Higher costs
– Durability
– Service life

High performance
Pär Johansson 2013-05-16 thermal insulation
 Chalmers Energy Conference 2013

http://www.lib.chalmers.se/

High performance
Pär Johansson 2013-05-16 thermal insulation
 Chalmers Energy Conference 2013

Thanks!

High performance
Pär Johansson 2013-05-16 thermal insulation