Simulation investigation of heating load for solid wall house retrofitted with Vacuum Insulation Panels

Energy efficiency for the purpose of sustainability is being taken up increasingly at present. Increasing the energy efficiency of buildings is being taken more seriously; consequently the demand for energy efficient buildings has risen. Heat losses can be reduced by lowering the heat transfer coefficient (U-value) of the building fabric by applying insulation in the building envelope, and so vacuum insulation panels (VIPs) can play a vital role in reducing the heat loss in buildings. VIPs represent a high performance thermal insulation material solution, offering an alternative to thick wall sections and large amounts of traditional insulation in modern buildings. Recently several researchers have carried out work to improve the performance of VIPs for building applications. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the heating load of proposed retrofitted solid wall houses with VIPs compared to the existing solid wall houses in the UK. Solid wall houses in Nottingham have been chosen as a case study for this paper. The main goal of this simulation is to investigate the energy performance and cost effectiveness of a retrofit strategy that could be used for solid wall houses in the UK.