Historic building energy conservation with wooden attic using vacuum insulation panel retrofit technology

The envelopes in historic buildings must be preserved as aging historic buildings continue to be used. Conservation is necessary to improve the energy performance of historic buildings. The target building of this study has an exposed rafter structure. Modern historical buildings in Korea do not have a passive retrofit, which is insulation. The passive retrofit covering the roof structure needs to be applied taking into account the original protection of the exposed rafters. This study aims to examine the energy improvement effect of a historic building with a roof with an exposed rafter structure. Considering the characteristics of the building, a vacuum insulation panel (VIP) retrofit technology is used instead of general insulation. The VIP is thin and has high heat resistance, so there is little damage to the envelope of historic buildings, and the U-value of the existing roof layer is reduced by 88%. By applying retrofitting technology, the annual energy consumption of the top floor was improved by 55%. Cooling on the top floor showed an improvement of 29.87%. The largest energy savings occurred in May at 49%. This is because the VIP retrofit technology is applied in the form of external insulation. External insulation lowers heat storage owing to solar radiation. The developed VIP was suitable for Korea's preservation considerations and building energy conservation considerations.

Automated summary

The preservation and conservation of the envelopes in historic buildings are crucial for their continued use and improved energy performance. This study focuses on a historic building with an exposed rafter structure and explores the energy improvement effect through the application of a vacuum insulation panel (VIP) retrofit technology. By reducing heat loss and improving insulation, the annual energy consumption of the top floor was significantly decreased by 55%.