A new materials research project is set to eliminate thermal bridges, condensation and mould in our living rooms. Heat loss from our homes will be radically reduced by a new generation of materials for high- insulation window frame profiles. When the final project results are in place the new materials will be made available to European window and facade manufacturers

More than one third of the energy used to heat buildings is lost through windows and doors. Frames and sills are the principal offenders as they are less insulation-efficient than the glass itself. As a result the European building industry is under pressure to develop windows that will reduce the energy loss from buildings and thus also reduce carbon emission.

A new materials research project is under way to identify the composites needed to create new window frame profiles with double the insulation efficiency of the very best frames and sills available in today’s market. The project is a partnership between profiles supplier Fiberline Composites, which already produces high-insulation composite profiles, and the Civil Engineering and Mechanical Engineering departments of Denmark’s Aalborg University.

“Our goal is to achieve a technology shift by significantly enhancing the insulation performance of frame and sill profiles, and at the same time enable window manufacturers to use the new materials to create slimline frame and sill constructions for high-strength windows, doors and facades that require no maintenance,” says Peter Thorning, Chief Innovation Officer at Fiberline Composites.

The very high strength and rigidity of composite relative to its weight enable the production of lightweight, attractive and elegant windows, doors and facades that provide the architect with considerable design freedom and also insulate effectively.

“Fiberline will make the new concept in composite materials available to European manufacturers of windows, doors and facades. They will then be able to use the technology to develop windows that make it cheaper to insulate both new and existing buildings. They will also be able to create their very own design solutions,” says Peter Thorning.

Project title: Advanced Composite Thermal Breaker

Fiberline Composites A/S, Peter Thorning, Chief Innovation Officer, phone +45 7013 7713
Aalborg University, Mechanical Engineering Department, Prof. Ole Thybo Thomsen, phone 9940 9319
Aalborg University, Civil Engineering Department, Prof. Per Heiselberg, phone +45 9940 8541

Budget: DKK 10.5m
HTF contribution: DKK 5.8m
Duration: 3 years

The Danish National Advanced Technology Foundation (HTF) has to date assisted 95 research projects relating to energy/environment, bio/medico, IT/telecoms, production, food and building. These projects have attracted total investment of DKK 2.4 bn, which includes DKK 1.2 bn from HTF, DKK 784m from private enterprises, and DKK 429m from public research institutions. HTF is represented on the steering committees of all high-tech projects and platforms.

Contact Thomas Bjerre, Head of Communications, Danish National Advanced Technology Foundation, phone +45 2090 3855

Background information

• Home heating – not electricity as is widely believed – is the biggest item on the domestic energy budget.
• Approx. 40% of Danish energy consumption is used to heat buildings.
• Despite intensive research into developing window glass with improved insulating characteristics, heat loss through window frames and sills remains high even with modern windows.
• Windows account for more than one third of domestic heat loss.
• This heat loss can be more than halved by using modern windows made of composite.
• In addition, composite makes it possible to design ultra-slim frame/sill structures that are elegant in appearance and also permit the entry of more daylight, thereby increasing the contribution from passive solar energy.
• Across the EU, tough new standards for sustainable building are in the pipeline.
• The new composite windows will conform to the future standards.
• Our goal is that the future windows will contribute positively to the overall energy balance of buildings by admitting more energy than they release.