Thermal Performance of Double-Pane Lightweight Steel Framed Walls with and without a Reflective Foil

One strategy to increase energy efficiency of buildings could be the reduction of undesirable heat losses by mitigating the heat transfer mechanisms across the building envelope. The use of thermal insulation is the simplest and most straightforward way to promote thermal resistance of building elements by reducing the heat transfer by conduction. However, whenever there is an air cavity, radiation heat transfer could be also very relevant. The use of thermal reflective insulation materials inside the air gaps of building elements is likewise an effective way to increase thermal resistance without increasing weight and wall thickness. Some additional advantages are its low-cost and easy installation. In this work, the performance of a thermal reflective insulation system, constituted by an aluminium foil placed inside an air cavity between a double pane lightweight steel framed (LSF) partition, is experimentally evaluated for different air gap thicknesses, ranging from 0 mm up to 50 mm, with a step increment of 10 mm. We found a maximum thermal resistance improvement of the double pane LSF walls due to the reflective foil of around +0.529 m(2).degrees C/W (+21%). The measurements of the R-values were compared with predictions provided by simplified models (CEN and NFRC 100). Both models were able to predict with reasonable accuracy (around +/- 5%) the thermal behaviour of the air cavities within the evaluated double pane LSF walls.