Experimental investigation and numerical evaluation of adoption of multi- layered wall with vacuum insulation panel for typical Mediterranean climate

This study is focused on the evaluation of the effectiveness of vacuum insulation panel (VIP) for typical Mediterranean climate. The interest for this material is due to indisputable advantages in term of insulation performance both for new and refurbished buildings; mainly in retrofit design, adoption of lower thickness assure same results with less invasive interventions. The problem is the behavior during the summer period, not investigated in the available scientific literature. Numerical and experimental approaches are used in this paper to compare the performance of several wall packages integrating VIP with constructive technologies that result in different stationary and dynamic parameters. More in detail the results of a yearly measurement campaign in three real building of south Italy are presented; recorded data of the surface and the mean air temperatures as well as of the heat flux are commented. Data for one typical week of each season are evaluated to compare the wall made of concrete block and vacuum insulation material with a massive structure and also with a concrete wall with expanded polystyrene as insulation material. Furthermore, simulation results (by means of EnergyPlus) are presented to study, mainly during the summer, the effect of integration of vacuum insulation panel in multi-layered wall made of concrete blocks with different values of density and thermal conductivity; moreover these configurations are compared with a wall made of innovative insulated interlocking brick and with the wall types considered in the experimental phase. Using a typical office building as case study, energy consumptions and environmental and economic indexes are valuated. Experimental and numerical results show the effectiveness of solution with VIPs also for Mediterranean climate