Lifecycle assessment of vacuum heat-insulation

Vacuum insulated panels are becoming more and more common in building practices. Therefore, environmental analysis through vacuum insulated panels lifecycle and environmentally reasoned choice of components for their production are currently important. Rigorous research inn area of vacuum insulated panels development were conducted by such organizations as Brunel University London, Chalmers University of Technology Gothenburg, FHBB Muttenz, TU München, Bayerisches Zentrum für Angewandte Energieforschung e.V., Ift Rosenheim, NIPTIS named after S.S. Ataev, etc. In Russian Federation the environmental analysis through vacuum insulated panels lifecycle was barely paid attention to, although there are interesting suggestions concerning utilization of different raw materials.

The goal of this research is to study the possibilities of vacuum insulated panels production projects in Russian Federation and their environmental assessment.

Such methods as ecoindicator-99, environmental restrictions and gross energy were used in environmental analysis through vacuum insulated panels lifecycle. The main method of lifecycle analysis is an integrated accounting of environmental criteria in accordance with the ISO 14000 international standard. In particular, the most important indicators of such account are greenhouse-warming potential (kg CO₂-equivalent), ozone layer depletion potential (kg CFC-11-equivalent), acidification potential (kg SO₂-equivalent), photooxidants generation potential (kg ethylene-equivalent, eutrophication potential (kg PO₄ ²-equivalent), primary power consumption from renewable and exhaustible sources. The choice of environmentally preferable components suggests using qualimetry methods.

Results of the research confirm that environmental pressure of vacuum insulated panels functional unit (1 m²) through its lifecycle are compatible with pressure of other heat-insulating materials (like glass-wool). When examining different indexes of the ecoindicator-99 system, environmental impacts are almost identical. The attribute «human health» of vacuum insulated panels is a bit inferior to that of glass-wool and the attribute «resources consumption» are that many superior than that of alternative fibrose heat-insulation. In general, results of the research show wide horizons of vacuum insulated panels utilization in modern building construction from the environmental point of view, while there is a range of technological problems to be solved.

As a conclusion to the research, we suggest environmentally preferable constructive solutions with the utilization of vacuum insulated panels. Those solutions provide lowering the environmental impact and cost of vacuum heat-insulation systems, alternate solutions for joints due to utilization of back-up insulated systems and different heat-insulation materials, as well as protecting panels from depressurization by integrating them into building envelope. (paper)