By offering some of the lowest ‘U’ values available to the UK market, a new energy efficient aluminium window system from fenestration designer and manufacturer, Senior Architectural Systems, is reportedly proving to be the ‘clear and cost-effective choice’ for improving a project’s carbon dioxide (CO2) calculations.
According to Senior, the new patent-pending PURe window range is the first in the UK to benefit from an enhanced thermal barrier, manufactured from expanded polyurethane foam (PUR). Traditionally used in cladding and insulation products, the use of PUR as a thermal barrier in windows gives the PURe system the potential to achieve ‘U’ values as low as 0.71w/m2k when calculated as a commercial CEN standard window.
By exceeding the requirements of Part L of the Building Regulations and providing a significant reduction from the typical ‘U’ values of 1.75-1.9w/m2k achieved by Senior’s standard SPW600 aluminium window system, the thermal performance of the PURe range can significantly improve a project’s carbon footprint.
As well as helping to cut the operational carbon emissions by making the building easier and more cost-effective to heat, the construction of the PURe system can also contribute to reducing the calculations of embodied carbon, which looks at the energy used in the manufacture, transportation, assembly and deconstruction of construction materials. Not only is the PURe system manufactured using existing tools from aluminium, which offers ‘cradle to cradle’ recycling, but according to Senior, the PUR thermal barrier can be re-used as fillers for other products with no requirement for landfill.
The specification of PURe to achieve a reduction in the overall carbon footprint of a building can also save money as well as energy as Senior’s sales director, James Keeling-Heane, explained: “Although calculations vary on different projects, the positive feedback we are getting from main contractors is that the fantastic ‘U’ values that can be achieved through the use of the new PURe system can help reduce CO2 calculations by up to 3%. This is then giving the project team the opportunity to look at making additional savings in the overall build cost, by reducing the need for features such as photovoltaic roof panels or expensive under floor insulation. As there is little price difference between the new PURe range and our standard aluminium windows and yet a significant improvement in thermal performance, the benefits that the specification of PURe can bring to a project are huge.”
With a generic Green Guide rating of ‘A’ for use in commercial projects and a life expectancy in excess of 40 years, Senior’s most recent product innovation has also been designed to meet the PassivHaus standard cycle.
