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VG Facade

Investigation of potential savings through the use of vacuum glass in glass facades and development of an optimized load-bearing system for this area of application.

Fast facts

  • Organizational unit

  • Category

    • Federal project
  • Funding source

    Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development (BBSR)

  • Funding program

    Research initiative ZukunftBAU

  • Duration

About the project

In view of the energy transition and the German government's energy policy goals, energy-efficient building renovation and optimization are of central importance. In recent years, the permissible transmission heat losses via the building envelope have been increasingly limited, most recently by the EnEV 2014 and the 2016 amendment.

The thermal weak points of a façade are still its transparent parts - there is enormous potential for savings here, as the introduction of increasingly optimized multiple thermal insulation glazing shows: In an evolutionary development, the path here has led from single to double to triple or multiple glazing with optimized filling gases, coatings and functional films. In complete contrast to this, vacuum glass represents a completely revolutionary innovation in glass technology: With only two thin panes and a minimal space between the panes, these systems achieve Ug values that are superior to those of multiple insulating glazing.

All-glass façade systems with double and triple glazing (e.g. structural glazing, mullion-transom, etc.) place high demands on the substructure due to the sometimes immense weight of the glazing. Transporting and installing the heavy glazing requires the use of a lot of gray energy and is often only possible by machine. The glazing is also susceptible to damage during installation and transportation due to its heavy weight. This can make the construction of such structures cost- and resource-inefficient. With the latest generation of vacuum glass, better thermal insulation (Ug values of 0.3 W/m2K) can be achieved with significantly lower system weights and the associated reduced effort and load input into the building. In principle, this allows them to be used with a much slimmer substructure.

The aim of the VG-FASSADE research project is therefore initially to evaluate the savings potential of replacing conventional and, in particular, older multiple glazing in all-glass façade systems with vacuum glass. Subsequently, a profile verification is to be carried out with the industrial partner: Is it possible to equip or upgrade the existing façade systems for double glazing - possibly with minor modifications - with the significantly better insulating vacuum glass?

The different thermal and mechanical properties of vacuum glass and conventional multiple glazing must be taken into account in the design and then tested. These are in particular the durability of systems with vacuum glazing and the edge seal of the vacuum glass as a potential thermal bridge with the risk of increased condensation in this area.

To the project profile(Opens in a new tab) 


Applicant:
Fachhochschule Dortmund
Sonnenstr. 96
44139 Dortmund

Lead researcher (alternative spokesperson):
Faculty of Architecture

Project leader:
Prof. Armin D. Rogall / V-Prof. Luis Ocanto

Supervisor at the BBSR:
Michael Brueggemann

Notes and references

Photo credits

  • Gabriele Marl | Gabriele Marl
  • Sebastian Seidelmann
  • Gabriele Marl

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