Abstract
Almost every major city’s skyline is known for high-rise iconic buildings with some level of curtain wall system (CWS) installed. Although complex, a CWS can be designed for energy efficiency by integrating insulated spandrel components in space-constrained areas, such as slabs/plenums. The main aim of this study was to experimentally examine the thermal performance of an optimized curtain wall spandrel system integrated with vacuum insulation panel (VIP) as spandrel insulation. The study is based on robust experimental evaluations, augmented with appropriate numerical computations. The main study is constituted of six parts: (1) evaluation of VIP specifications and thermal properties; (2) analysis of VIP spandrel configuration, fabrication, and installation in a test building facility; (3) thermal bridge characterization of VIP spandrels; (4) monitoring and assessment of VIP durability within the spandrel cavities; (5) thermal performance analysis; and (6) assessment of related limitations and challenges, along with some further reflections. In all, 22 VIPs (each of size 600 mm2) were used. The effective thermal conductivity of VIPs ranged from 5.1–5.4 (10−3 W/mK) and the average value for initial inner pressure was approximately 4.3–5.9 mbar. Three VIP spandrel cases were fabricated and tested. The results proved that the Case 3 VIP spandrel configuration (composed of a double-layer VIP) was the most improved alternative for integrating VIPs.
Highlights
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), final energy use in buildings grew from 118 EJ in 2010 to around 128 EJ in 2019 [1]
The results proved that the protection factor for the vacuum insulation panel (VIP) used within the architectural insulation module (AIM) was more than ten times that of the unprotected VIP
The results proved that the Case 3 VIP spandrel configuration was the most improved alternative for integrating
Summary
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), final energy use in buildings grew from 118 EJ in 2010 to around 128 EJ in 2019 [1]. Factors contributing to this rise were due to energy demand for cooling, to power appliances and devices, as well as extreme weather events. Energy-related direct emissions from buildings were about 3 GtCO2 in 2019, a 5% increase since 2010. Considering indirect emissions from upstream power generation, buildings were responsible for 28% of global energy-related. Buildings-related CO2 emissions rose and reached an all-time high of 10 GtCO2 in 2019 [1]. For maintaining a comfortable indoor environment, energy-efficient building envelopes are essential, as the building envelope dominates other sections of a building system regarding the long-term impact on the ultimate energy performance throughout the lifecycle of a building [2]
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