In Situ Performance Assessment of a Composite Insulation System Consisting of Mineral Wool and Vacuum Insulation Panels

In the present paper, heat flux, temperature and moisture monitoring data simultaneously obtained over a period of one year, at several locations of the envelope of a small scale (4x4x7m) demonstration house (situated in the NTUA premises) are presented and analyzed. Three walls of this house use conventional polystyrene insulation and the fourth north wall, a composite insulation system consisting of VIPs, mineral wool (mineral wool - VIP - mineral wool) and thermo-insulating render. The U-Value of the walls is theoretically and experimentally determined. The discussion focuses, via comparative assessment, on the key issues of thermal and hygrothermal performance of the examined walls that incorporate either EPS or a VIP composite assembly as an external thermal insulation system.