The materials and components we use to create our new buildings and refurbish existing ones are coming under the spotlight more than ever before as we strive towards a highly sustainable society.

The battle against climate change is constant and buildings are a major CO2 contributor. Nationally in the UK, around 40% of all carbon emissions result from energy used to power our buildings and in London that figure is as high as 70%*.

The nature of the glass has an important bearing, especially the perimeter spacer bar, the presence or absence of gas, and the emissivity and clarity of the glass, and the effect all these points have on solar gain and heat retention.

* Recycling waste materials without compromising the technical performance of the end product is also a valuable achievement. In the PVC industry, like other forward thinking industries such as glass and metals, both the end of life and manufacturing process waste materials are routinely recycled to eradicate any unnecessary waste.

* Heat retention during the window’s lifetime, combined with low toxicity materials in manufacture and the cleaning up of waste products without compromising performance is key to the ‘environmental window’.  

* The use of thermal reinforcement within the new British Standards for Extrusions, BS EN 12608, when combined with Class A wall thickness (2.8mm minimum) means the insulation thickness of thermoplastic, from inside to outside, is between 13mm and 16mm. Combining Class A with Thermlock® gives more than twice the insulation value from the thermoplastic.