The state of the art: superinsulation construction materials under the UK’s domestic energy building: Aerogel and vacuum insulation technology applications

The concept of building retrofit has become a top priority for many countries and especially in the European Union in order to meet the world Kyoto protocol to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Consequently, the EU is committed to reduce the energy of heating in buildings and the greenhouse gases by 50% and 80% respectively compared to 1990 levels by 2050. This translates to one house being retrofitted every minute. A viable solution in achieving this target is to increase the amount of insulation in the building stock. Numerous materials have therefore been introduced to the market during recent decades. Until recently aerogel has been used in the space and chemical industry, while VIPs have been used in the refrigeration and cold shipping industry. Their use in the building environment has been limited, and the challenging factor causing this is high cost. However, this can be offset by the high thermal insulation properties that provide a thinner final construction profile. This advantage could create new opportunities for architects and construction engineers to design energy efficient buildings. This paper presents innovative superinsulation materials of very low thermal conductivity, and their application under the UK’s building energy codes. The thermal performance and energy saving capacity of aerogel and vacuum insulation panels (VIPs) are covered in addition to the economic, health and safety aspects. Additionally, their application in domestic homes to achieve the UK’s Code for Sustainable Homes level four and six ratings is discussed.