Is energy efficient enough anymore?
Robert Thiroff is managing director of Profine UK and responsible for the Kömmerling and WarmCore brands. In this feature he discusses the need for energy efficiency across all materials, but also suggests that the fenestration industry should be aiming higher in 2025 and beyond.
As we head towards winter with news of another energy price cap increase hitting the headlines, homeowners are once more reminded of the benefits of insulating their homes.
An official report from the government’s English Housing Survey shows that just over half of UK homes have now achieved a C energy rating or better. This is positive news for the journey to net zero, and a lot of this progress comes from new homes that have been built to the latest energy standards, but there is still an awful lot of potential for more energy efficient windows and doors across the board.
According to the Climate Change Committee (CCC) the UK could be helped greatly by the government’s Warm Homes Plan and the Future Homes Standard coming to fruition. The Warm Homes Plan has promised to deliver affordable heating and cut carbon emissions in existing homes by increasing spending on retro fit energy efficient improvements, claiming the plan will improve five million homes over five years.
Meanwhile the Future Homes Standard will ensure new homes built in England will produce 75-80% fewer carbon emissions than those built under existing Building Regulations.
So, we know energy efficiency continues to be a hot topic in government, social housing, New Build, and in UK households, but are energy efficient windows and doors enough? We don’t think that should be the end of the story.
The WarmCore bi-folding door was the first product launched under the brand just over ten years ago, an invention that came from the idea of combining the desirability, durability, and flexibility of aluminum with unparalleled insulation.
Since then, the range has expanded to include patio doors, entrance doors, and casement, flush sash and tilt and turn windows, and while all products still boast excellent energy efficiency, they are also now manufactured sustainably.
Tilt and turn
The Kömmerling WarmCore 76 tilt and turn window, designed with the commercial sector in mind, delivers a 1.2w/(m2K) U-value with a standard double-glazed unit and 0.8w/m2K U-value with a triple glazed unit. In addition, our 70mm aluminium hybrid products typically achieve a U value of 1.3w/(m2K) with double glazing and 0.9w/(m2K) triple glazed, and the patio door can achieve 1.4w/(m2K) with double glazing and 1.0w/(m2K) on triple glazing too.
However, not stopping at achieving excellent energy efficiency, the WarmCore 76 system also boasts a 100% recycled core and harnesses up to 90% recycled aluminium which makes it a more sustainable choice.
The WarmCore 76 tilt and turn solution also offers huge benefits for those involved in the new build and commercial sectors because there is no need for additional gaskets, seals or thermal inserts to achieve this optimum level of energy efficiency.
Eliminating the need for these components means no costly callbacks as they often expand and degrade at different rates and create problems further down the line. The 76mm system with Graf welded corners also creates a perfect seamless finish with clean lines and delivers incredible quality and performance.
The Kömmerling WarmCore range delivers true product innovation and superb energy efficiency but is also manufactured sustainably to further future-proof customer’s projects. Our aim is to deliver all of this with the smallest environmental footprint possible while showing fairness and responsibility. Fabricators and installers working in any sector should now be working with suppliers that can offer all of this or risk being left behind.