Mar 12 2007
With energy efficiency and Window Energy Ratings (WERs) a driving influence in window design, Pilkington and Senator have been instrumental in producing the first commercially viable A-rated window for the Irish market.
This ground breaking achievement is the result of incorporating Pilkington K Glass™ with argon gas filling and double glazing into Senator's own exclusive Senergy GlassTM units, rather than the more costly krypton filling and/or triple glazing.
The result is testament to the collaborative approach adopted by Pilkington, Senator, Alphacan and Edgetech. The window uses its own unique combination of 4mm Pilkington OptiwhiteTM, 16mm 90% argon gas filled space, Edgetech's Superspacer and 4mm Pilkington K GlassTM. Senator's revolutionary window utilises Alphacan's master system window frame with the glazing unit manufactured in-house.
Kevin Richards, Managing Director of Senator Windows said: “We are delighted to be able to offer our customers an A-rated window. We were the first window company in Ireland to offer Window Energy Rated windows, and to have moved from a C-rating, to a B-rating, and now to an A-rating in such a short space of time is a remarkable achievement. Until recently, A-rated windows have required very costly components to achieve top-tier performance. Now we have the first cost effective A-rated window in the Irish market.”
Andy McDowell, Float and Coated Products Manager at Pilkington Building Products UK, added: “Pilkington leads the way in development of energy efficient glazing products and this is another example of how our products have helped to create a marketable A-rated window. This is further demonstration of the dual benefits of Pilkington K Glass™, which combines low emissivity and optimum solar gain properties to achieve the highest standards of energy efficiency in windows. Senator Windows should be commended for their market leading product and commitment to the BFRC Window Energy Ratings scheme.”
Pilkington K Glass™ remains the UK and Ireland's leading low-E glass and the brand most recognised by householders. WERs, developed by the British Fenestration Rating Council (BFRC), take into account all the factors that affect the energy performance of a window and enable the window company to use an energy label similar to that seen on white goods displaying the product's rating on an A to G scale. Use of WERs represents
a significant evolution in the marketplace away from a focus simply on U-value. WERs are a fairer, more accurate measure of window energy efficiency and one that, for the first time, can be easily understood by home owners.