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 | | PROJECT GREEN GOOD GLAZING GUIDE | | | Glass & Glazing Federation | | 30/06/2008 | | | As the GGF launches this week the industry’s first ever comprehensive guide to environmental matters, GGF President Robert Aitken takes time out to talk about why it is required by the industry and what impact he foresees it having.
1. Who is it aimed at?
Project Green is predominantly aimed in the first instance at our Members. We are seeking to assist them in the best way we can in demonstrating the benefits of energy efficient windows to their customers to help them sell and also to assist them in improving their environmental effectiveness in areas like recycling, efficient uses, avoidance of waste and so on. But clearly we are also looking to get the message across of what GGF membership and the industry are doing and can do to the trade. We are also communicating with Government and opinion formers in the energy area and ultimately the consumer.
2. What is special about this Guide?
Well the first thing that is special is that it is unique. It is the first comprehensive environmental guide that has been published in our industry. It has been written with the support of the members but also using factual independent sources of information. It is therefore an independent picture of what the role of energy efficient windows is and what best practice is in environmental terms in our industry.
3. How will industry react to this Guide?
We are certainly hoping that it will react very positively and that it will see this as a major contributor in positioning the industry in the forefront of the environmental economy that we are all facing.
4. Why is the Guide needed by the industry?
In the past the industry has in fact made a tremendous contribution to environmental good practice though in many respects it has gone unrecognised. It has been traditionally way ahead of the regulations in producing and selling energy efficient windows and it has been developing its waste management and recycling procedures. However in the real world not everyone is doing all that they can. It is therefore helpful to give them a guide to best practice to help them achieve that and also to provide an independent document that shows outside parties from the consumer through to government what the industry is doing on environmental matters.
5. Is the consumer really interested in environment issues when it comes to choosing new windows?
We will see proof of that in the coming years but I think the pragmatic view is that as energy bills are rising and the consumer’s disposable £ in their pocket becomes scarcer they will indeed see the benefit of choosing higher energy performance windows when the time comes for them to replace windows.
6. What impact can the industry have on the environment?
It is well demonstrated that the existing buildings stock is one of the highest contributors to the country's carbon emissions. It is considerably higher than air travel and, based on the energy calculator that we have developed as part of this Green Project, we can clearly demonstrate the very significant amounts of carbon emissions that can be saved by using energy efficient windows. Fenestration is one of the major areas of any building where heat escapes and excess energy is used if we don’t have fenestration up to modern standards.
7. Has industry got attractive products that are also environmentally friendly?
Yes indeed it has. The standard window approved under Part L is a very energy efficient product by comparison with what has typically been put, for example, in new build up to 2002 without even moving into the areas of higher energy products. However there are products on the market at a premium price, but still very affordable, which can give considerably higher energy performance. The way to access these and to identify where you can find them is to look for the BFRC window energy rating. The basic Part L compliant window under Building Regulations is equivalent to a BFRC Band E window and you can currently buy windows from the industry up to Band A, with progressively increasing levels of energy efficiency.
8. Is the GGF really committed to tackling the environment or is it paying lip service?
We are absolutely committed to tackling the environmental issues. We have spent a considerable amount of resource on developing Project Green, publicising it and developing the energy calculator. We also took over the development two years ago of BFRC (The British Fenestration Rating Council) which is committed to the encouragement of higher energy performance windows based on energy bandings. We have put a significant amount of time and money into its development to bring the more energy efficient options before the industry and the public.
9. What’s next for the GGF on the green agenda?
The first key thing we have to do is build on the work that has been done already on the green guide to environmental good practice, developing usage of the green carbon calculator and getting that message out to the industry and the consumer based on the investment we have put in. We are also heavily involved in consultations with government on the next phases of regulatory compliance under Building Regulations which are going to set the minimum standards from 2010, 2013 and 2016 so we have a very busy environmental calendar ahead of us for the next few years.
The GGF also continues to talk to Government about the need for incentives for energy efficient glazing and to encourage them to move in this direction to tackle the energy efficiency of the existing housing stock. | |
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Residential , Curtain Walling , Sealants , Glass Machinery , Partitions , Solar Shading , Recycling Solutions , Part L , Housebuilding , Flats & Apartments , Other , Other , Training & Consultancy
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