Incorporation of Vacuum Insulation Panels in a Wood Frame Net Zero Energy Home PDF

Vacuum insulation panels (VIPs) are the newest emerging technological breakthrough for Canadian residential construction markets. The vacuum insulation panels are particularly useful in places where space is at a premium or where energy demand is high. The higher insulating values of VIPs can effectively reduce the thickness of building envelopes. The thermal resistance of vacuum insulation panel ranges RSI 0.2 per mm (R-30 per inch) to RSI 0.3 per mm (R-45/inch) thickness. The first known Canadian field demonstration of VIPs is in Burnaby, B.C. The project team of net-zero energy Harmony House, successful winner of CMHC's Equilibrium^TM Sustainable Housing Demonstration Initiative, has used exterior walls with vacuum insulation panels. With a number of mock-ups and field tests, the Harmony House team adopted to install 15 mm (0.6") thick VIP in the stud cavity, covered by a 50 mm foil-faced isocyanurate foam board on the exterior and spray-foam on the interior providing an effective insulation value of more than RSI 7.0 (R-40). Design-stage thermal and hygrothermal analyses and the construction of VIP wall assemblies showed that these systems do exhibit superior overall performance. Field construction a home with vacuum insulation panels demonstrated that builders in cold-climate countries can build thin-profile low heat loss wall systems.