Sustainable building design is as much about creating buildings that are energy efficient as it is working to reduce embodied carbon in the way products are made. Samantha Hill, head of marketing at Reynaers Aluminium, discusses how the company is building energy efficiency into its products and practices – and the progress it has made.

The consideration of energy efficiency is two-fold for the fenestration industry – meeting the need to build increased thermal efficiency into window and door systems to support lower energy use as well as supporting sustainability through the reduction of carbon emissions in the manufacturing process.

Reynaers has a clear sustainability policy that sets out its commitment to reducing scope 1 and 2 energy emissions in its own operations, along with indirect scope 3 emissions associated with the supply chain. Having calculated and benchmarked the company’s carbon emissions we are able to make – and demonstrate – tangible change.

Emissions reductions targets were initially set out in Reynaers Act – the company’s sustainability strategy launched in July 2022. This has been followed by Reynaers having its targets verified by the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi), which supports clear, evidenced reductions in emissions through a company’s operations.

To establish achievable targets, a baseline measurement was taken in 2019 with Reynaers calculating its carbon footprint at a group level. With the baseline in place, we have been able to outline a clear starting point from which evidence of improvements in energy efficiency can be shown.

And this is a key point – energy efficiency improvements need to be clearly evidenced. Actions always speak louder than words, but this can only be achieved with thorough calculations and clear targets.

Setting clear targets

Targeting a reduction of 46.2% by 2030 in scope 1 and 2 emissions, and 55% in scope 3 in its supply chain, Reynaers has already seen emissions drop by 8.8% in total across the year 2022-2023 (as documented in the company’s latest sustainability report).

This is the start of a journey that will build on the foundations the company has put in place. With low energy ‘campuses’ in Switzerland and Poland we expect to see further reductions.

With solar panels built into key sites, switching to green energy contracts and choosing electric vehicles for fleet cars, the company has seen a clear initial impact. This is likely to continue as we seek an alternative solution to power our coating production lines.

Tackling embodied carbon in aluminium

A key objective for Reynaers is sourcing lower carbon aluminium. While aluminium is infinitely recyclable, the demand for aluminium products outstrips the availability due to the longevity of the systems and the buildings they are used in.

Using only a fraction of the energy needed to produce the primary product, recycled aluminium has a far lower level of embodied carbon, averaging around 0.5 tons CO2-equivalents per ton.

While access to recycled aluminium can be an issue, low carbon aluminium is becoming more widely available following investment in alternative energy models in the aluminium production process, such as hydro-powered plants, which can produce aluminium with embodied carbon levels of 4kg CO2/kg.

The latest sustainability report from Reynaers shows that 31% of the company’s current aluminium content is recycled – the aim is to increase that to 56% by 2030. In addition, 41% of Reynaers’ aluminium is low-carbon primary content.

The energy used in the production and manufacturing process is an important consideration in assessing the carbon impact of a building, but looking to future emissions is also vital to the fenestration industry.

Lower U-values

While further regulatory reform is expected around building performance, thermal efficiency is a priority, reducing the reliance on energy to maintain a comfortable environment.

While regulatory reform has driven industry standards for thermal efficiency – and seen a huge shift in U-values, the industry has also led the way in looking at what is achievable in thermal efficiency standards, including embracing passive house standards.

While cost-point and aesthetics remain key market factors, thermal efficiency is increasingly a choice leader, especially in the commercial sector where environmental factors are very much front and centre in project specification decisions.

While there is no doubt a distance still to go in creating energy efficiency buildings, great strides have been made in the fenestration industry to support a holistic approach.

Passive House

Beyond this, the industry has risen to the challenge of creating systems for buildings that meet stringent Passive House standards.

In MasterLine 8 and MasterLine 10, Reynaers has created systems to support lower emissions into the future – and meet the highest standards of sustainability-led building design. Reynaers’ ConceptWall 50 and ConceptWall 60 curtain walling systems are also able to meet Passive House standards.

While Passive House remains the gold standard in controlling energy emissions, this standard may well become more commonplace in future years as world leaders (and the construction industry) accelerate the need to reduce emissions.

Building a commitment to reduce energy emissions into both the products used to construct the buildings of the future, and the manufacturing process, is essential. This is a challenge that Reynaers has embraced and will continue to demonstrate though transparent targets.