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VIPA International: Panel Technology Helps Turn 1970s Secondary School Into State-of-the-Art Passive House
Brussels, Belgium — Aug. 3, 2015 — VIPA International, the Vacuum Insulation Panel Association, has released a case study about a renovation project of a school in Germany where Vacuum Insulation Panels (VIPs) were used.
The secondary school of Freilassing in Bavaria, which was built in 1972, went through a major renovation in 2011. The reinforced concrete construction of the school was covered with a building shell following passive house standards. To achieve the required high thermal insulation rates without compromising on the building original surface, the architect used the extremely thin and high-performing VIPs.
A data processing planning tool was used to draw a plan of all the rooms, which provided precise information on the exact quantities and sizes needed for the panels of each room. The building surface remained exactly the same after the insulation material was added. A renovation project using traditional insulation materials would have required installing new stairs, fireproof doors, and emergency exits, but thanks to the use of VIPs these works were unnecessary.
Vacuum insulation panels were the most appropriate solution to ensure that the renovation of the secondary school of Freilassing was made according to passive house principles and within budget. The architect who led the project stated: "VIPs were the smartest solution to fulfill the requirements of thermal insulation without losing the height of the rooms."
To download the case study, click here.
VIPA International is a global trade association representing the interests of manufacturers of vacuum insulation panels as well as supply chain. The association keeps its global office in Brussels, Belgium, and also maintains a presence in Washington, D.C.
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