Dr Svend Svendsen, Professor of Building Energy Engineering at the Technical University of Denmark is an expert in heat loss from buildings through windows and facades. He is also involved in developing new energy-efficient window and facade systems made of GRP composite.

Nearly half the energy used in heating buildings in Denmark is lost through windows and doors, mostly via the frame and sill structures. This heat loss could be reduced significantly if manufacturers became better at utilizing new materials like GRP composite.

“GRP is a strong and durable material that offers minimal heat loss and is suitable for use in window frames and sills – either alone or combined with wood, aluminium and PVC. Using GRP it is a simple matter to reduce heat loss by 20% or more,” says Svend Svendsen, referring to more detailed information in materials published by his institute.

“The insulating performance of glass has radically improved in recent years. The goal now is to match this with better window frames and sills, thereby upgrading the energy balance of the window as a whole. This can be done by using narrow, high-insulation GRP profiles in a GRP frame or in combination with other materials,” says Svend Svendsen.