Overview
ISO 16478:2023 - "Thermal insulation products - Vacuum insulation panels (VIPs) - Specification" sets international requirements for vacuum insulation panels (VIPs) with silica or glass fibre cores used in the thermal insulation of buildings. The standard defines required product properties, performance criteria, test methods, conformity evaluation rules, and labelling/identification. It also provides specific test procedures to determine ageing factors and the effect of linear thermal bridges at VIP edges. Note: for glass fibre core VIPs, ISO 16478:2023 applies only where desiccants give a service life ≥ 25 years. The standard does not cover installation details or products for building equipment and industrial installations.
Key topics and requirements
- Scope and definitions: terminology for VIP components (core, envelope, adsorbent/desiccant), inner pressure, COP (centre of panel) and edge effect.
- Thermal performance: requirements and test methods for initial and aged thermal resistance and thermal conductivity, including size-dependent values.
- Ageing and durability: laboratory procedures to determine expected mean thermal conductivity at 25 years and the relationship between inner pressure and thermal performance.
- Edge effects / linear thermal transmittance: methods to quantify thermal bridging at panel edges and how it impacts whole-panel performance.
- Dimensional and mechanical properties: rules and tests for length, width, squareness, flatness, thickness and dimensional stability.
- Sampling, conformity and factory controls: sampling plans, product type determination (PTD), factory production control (FPC) and conformity evaluation procedures.
- Identification and labelling: required marking to communicate declared thermal properties, dimensions and ageing data.
- Annexes: normative methods for linear thermal transmittance, aged value determination for silica and glass fibre cores, and informative guidance on additional properties and pressure measurement.
Applications and practical value
ISO 16478:2023 is intended for use where high-performance thermal insulation is required in building envelopes - for example walls, roofs and floors - and where space-saving insulation solutions are sought. It helps:
- Manufacturers certify VIP product performance and declare long-term thermal behaviour.
- Test laboratories apply standardized methods to measure initial and aged thermal properties.
- Architects, specifiers and building engineers compare and select VIPs with reliable performance data.
- Regulators and certification bodies evaluate conformity and labelling for building products.
Who should use this standard
- VIP manufacturers and R&D teams
- Accredited test laboratories and third‑party certifiers
- Building product compliance officers and procurement teams
- Architects, façade engineers and building energy modelers
Related standards
ISO 16478 references thermal and fire test standards commonly used with VIPs, for example ISO 8301/8302 (thermal resistance measurement), ISO 10211 (thermal bridges), ISO 10456 (hygrothermal properties) and relevant reaction-to-fire standards (ISO 1182, ISO 11925-2, EN 13501‑1).