As Aluplast launches an ultra-energy-efficient profile, windows with ultra-low U-values are now easily within your grasp, according to director of sales and marketing Ian Cocken.

The revisions to Part L of the Building Regulations (conservation of fuel and power) this summer are still causing headaches for window companies that are struggling to maintain a secure supply of energy efficient products.

But, according to Ian Cocken, director of sales and marketing at Aluplast, U-values will have to fall much further, putting increased pressure on window and door designs.

“Attitudes to sustainability and energy efficiency have changed dramatically in recent years, and we are due to see a significant tightening of the building regs so that homes will become more thermally efficient, driving down their carbon footprint in the process,” Cocken says.

He points to the Future Homes Standard, due to take effect in 2025. Applicable to newbuild properties, the standard’s aim is to dramatically reduce the energy required to run homes. As part of the consultation process in 2021-22, U-values of 0.8W/m2K for windows were included to meet this aim.

“These figures don’t apply to replacement windows, but they do suggest that we could see equally dramatic reductions in required U-values for refurbishment projects,” Cocken adds. “As a result, triple glazing is now being talked about quite widely because the window systems on the market today struggle to reach the U-values predicted in just three years’ time.

“No-one wants to use triple glazing unnecessarily. Adding in that third pane of glass adds weight to the unit, which requires more expensive hardware, more lifting equipment, and often deeper frames.”

Aluplast has launched Ideal Neo, a radical new energy efficient profile that can create windows with a U-value of just 0.9W/m2K with a standard energy efficient double glazed unit.

Part of Aluplast’s Energeto family of products, Ideal Neo is a new flush-fit, 76mm front-to-back system, which allows U-values to be pushed much lower without significantly changing the overall design of the window.
Ideal Neo offers a base-level 1.2W/m2K Uf-value, and the ability to carry units up to 50mm. This means triple glazing can easily be incorporated, which presents the opportunity to offer windows with ultra-low U-values if required.

Further options contribute to Ideal Neo’s energy efficiency. These include ‘powerdur’, a specially designed fibre-glass-reinforced plastic insert, which improves the thermal performance and makes the windows 20% lighter than conventional windows. This saves fuel during transportation, relieving strain on the environment in the process.

Glass units can be bonded to the frame, which improves weather tightness, thermal performance, and the window’s rigidity. And since Ideal Neo windows are lighter, glass bonding doesn’t impact on the weight during installation.

The Ideal Neo system also has a classic centre seal – ‘safetec inside’ – which is a special extruded middle rebate with a third internal seal. This ensures better tightness of the entire construction, improves thermal and acoustic properties, and makes it more difficult to force open the sash by blocking access from an external attack.

And to score extra sustainability points, profile supplied by Aluplast is made from Ecotech, which maximises the amount of recycled content in a profile’s design, without affecting performance.

All profile is available in 40 different foiled finishes, including Woodec and Aludec. These are next generation foils that accurately replicate timber and aluminium, and open up opportunities for fabricators and installers targeting high-end installations.

“Fabricators and installers want windows that they can rely on for years to come, not ones that only just meet the current regs,” Cocken says. “Energy efficiency is right at the top of the agenda, so there is no risk in investing in products that have future requirements in their sights, and which give them a competitive advantage in the process.”