Ireland: Kingspan Insulated Panels has launched IPN-QuadCore, a new insulated panel core offering strong thermal, fire and environmental performance for a closed-cell material, according to its press release. IPN-QuadCore improves building performance by lowering lifetime costs and enhancing environmental credentials by using a unique microcell structure.
"This is our most significant insulated panel technology breakthrough in a decade," said Gilbert McCarthy, managing director of Kingspan Insulated Panels. "The property market demands high performance, energy-efficient buildings that deliver low risk, high net yield and reduced environmental impact. The unprecedented performance of IPN-QuadCore helps to deliver these superior buildings, making the strongest business case yet for sustainability."
IPN-QuadCore delivers a 20% thermal improvement over standard polyurethane insulated panel core insulation. It has a lambda value of 0.018w/mK and achieves U-values as low as 0.08w/m2K. A study by energy consultants AECOM found that, when used in a standard 5000m2 distribution warehouse in the UK, a Kingspan IPN-QuadCore building envelope reduced energy demand by almost 14%/yr compared with the notional Part L2A 2013 specification. The same study found that a Kingspan IPN-QuadCore building envelope solution could even reduce the initial capital cost of constructing the warehouse because it reduced the required heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system size.
IPN-QuadCore is the first closed cell insulated panel core to be certified to FM 4882 for use in smoke sensitive occupancies. It achieves a reaction to fire of B-s1,d0 to EN 13501-1 and offers fire resistance of up to one hour insulation and three hours integrity to EN 13501-2. The insulation core is also currently undergoing testing to be certified to LPS 1181 Part 2 for internal applications. This improved performance means that IPN-QuadCore products can be offered in a wider range of panel widths, up to 7m in some LPS 1208 specifications and up to 12m in certain specifications according to EN 13501-2. In the AECOM study, an IPN-QuadCore building achieved six more BREEAM Ene01 credits than a typical retail or distribution warehouse. Furthermore, the new technology behind the microcell structure creates a more resource-efficient material, improving the environmental impact of its production. King span said that it will provide each IPN-QuadCore panel a 40-year guarantee, which covers both structural and thermal performance. This promises that a building will perform 'as-built' over the life of the property, reducing envelope maintenance and subsequent repair costs. The guarantee is being offered because IPN-QuadCore's closed-cell structure resists moisture ingress, which maintains the structural integrity of the core and cuts the risk of additional moisture weight, a leading cause of structural failure in similarproducts.
IPN-QuadCore is currently being introduced to cold-store insulated panels, with a wider rollout commencing later in 2015.
