|
Home owners are plagued with problems of cold window frames, condensation and mould. But help is now at hand from new materials that eliminate thermal bridging in windows, says professor in building energy.
According to Svend Svendsen, Professor in Building Energy at the Technical University of Denmark, home owners lose up to 50% of the heat from their homes due to badly insulating windows and doors. This figure can be significantly reduced by making consumers aware of new windows with frame and sill profiles made of GRP composite.
“Consumers now have a genuine alternative to traditional window constructions. For example, window manufacturer Pro Tec has launched a new GRP window that increases light admission – and lets more heat in than it lets out,” says Svend Svendsen. A new composite window is also on its way from another manufacturer, HS Hansen.
“However, more window manufacturers should be exploiting the benefits of GRP,” says Professor Svendsen, who offers his assistance to manufacturers interested in designing new types of windows based on composite.
“The insulating performance of glass has radically improved in recent years. The goal is now to match this with better window frames and sills, thereby improving the energy balance of the window as a whole. This can be done by using narrow, high-insulation composite profiles in a GRP frame or in combination with other materials,” says Svend Svendsen.
GRP profiles manufacturer Fiberline Composites discerns growing interest in composite from European window and facade producers. “Tougher regulations allied to the debate on carbon dioxide and rising energy prices are providing a strong stimulus to development,” reports Fiberline’s Managing Director Henrik Thorning.
|
