Innovative multi-functional Vacuum-Insulation-Panels (VIPs) for use in the building sector

INNOVIP Consortium will reinvent the top-of-the-line insulating material vacuum-insulation-panels (VIP) by improving their thermal performance over the entire lifetime by at least 25 % and making VIPs adjustable, mountable and machineable.

By reducing the density of the core material and/or using an alternative core material together with less expensive VIP-envelopes as gas barrier, it will be possible to sell the new product INNOVIP by more than 20 % lower price. Besides, the new product has a reduced embodied energy by at least 25 % and, attaching different cover layers, the panels can fulfill different functions. These additional functions can be adjusted according to the application they address, for example photocatalytic VOC removal from indoor- and outdoor air, anti mould coating, moisture buffering by Aluminium Compounds or summer heat cut-off by latent heat activated in phase change materials (PCMs). Currently there is no such material on the market.

INNOVIP will develop such an innovative solution which will lead to a breakthrough in energy efficiency of the opaque parts of the building envelope – both in new built and existing houses. The success of the development process will be demonstrated in two prototypes that can be tested and validated. Development tasks will be carried out in close cooperation with the three complementary and reputed participating testing laboratories. We will show that, in principle, the new product is ready for use in certain important and representative applications, addressing a relevant market volume by replacing conventional insulating materials and standard VIP in established insulation solutions.

The methodology of the INNOVIP project is well described in the work package structure. In central position are the work packages for material development; which are WP 1 (Core material), WP2 (Envelope) and WP3 (Cover layers, edge design and Functions). In WP 4 the production process for the new invented insulation panels with loose fill concept is developed. The concept of INNOVIP is an all-embracing approach of re-inventing all components of VIP. In WP 7 (Implementation), the final product will be assembled and the integration of the new INNOVIP product in existing building systems is worked out. In WP 8 (Demonstration), we will show the market readiness and prove our concept in real buildings. It is obvious that a very close cooperation between the partners is necessary (described in “consortium as a whole” and in “interdisciplinary consideration”) to succeed with the implementation of all work tasks addressing each product.

This close cooperation is guaranteed by using different concepts:

1. Work meetings are held every 6 months to ensure discussion of the ongoing research and an exchange of all important information;
2. WP 10 Management and Coordination will act in central receiving, combining and re-distributing information about the work process. This is important to guarantee that no developments are pushed forward that mutually exclude each other;
3. The innovation process in WP 1, WP 2, WP3 and WP 4 is accompanied by WP 6 (Characterization).

Partners:

• FORSCHUNGSINSTITUT FUER WAERMESCHUTZ EINGETRAGENER VEREIN MUENCHEN
• VA-Q-TEC AG
• HANITA COATINGS RCA LTD 
• NORDISK PERLITE APS
• TECNOLOGIA NAVARRA DE NANOPRODUCTOS SL
• SOPREMA
• MOSTOSTAL WARSZAWA SA
• LABORATOIRE NATIONAL DE METROLOGIE ET D'ESSAIS
• FRAUNHOFER GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FOERDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG E.V.
• ITECONS INSTITUTO DE INVESTIGACAO E DESENVOLVIMENTO TECNOLOGICO PARA A CONSTRUCAO ENERGIA AMBIENTE E SUSTENTABILIDADE
• OXFORD BROOKES UNIVERSITY
• L'UREDERRA, FUNDACION PARA EL DESARROLLO TECNOLOGICO Y SOCIAL
• BAYERISCHE FORSCHUNGSALLIANZ BAVARIAN RESEARCH ALLIANCE GMBH
• AVERY DENNISON ISRAEL LTD

Start date: 1/10/2016 - End date: 30/04/2020