News: In detail

New Research from NorDan: Energy Efficiency with NTech

Date: 27/08/2008

New studies from leading researchers confirm that NorDan’s NTech Passive and Low Energy windows can make a significant contribution to energy efficiency and reduced carbon emissions from buildings, a vital goal in the face of today’s energy crisis.

The studies feature in the new academic brochure from NorDan, a study which draws together the research of a number of respected academics working in the field of construction and the environment. NorDan is actively involved in research and development to ensure its products continue to meet the needs of the building industry, now and in the future.

The academic brochure focuses on the performance of the NTech window range. The NTech Passive window can achieve a U-value of just 0.7W/m²K for the whole window. Looking at a wide variety of energy, economic and environmental factors, the research gives accurate and detailed information on the NTech’s capabilities.

The brochure raises issues such as the embodied energy of a product and how manufactured products with a high embodied energy are being phased out in favour of products with well researched and documented life-cycle assessments. Embodied energy figures – from raw material extraction, through the manufacturing process, plus the transportation of both raw materials and the delivery of the finished product to the customer – can validate a product’s environmental credentials and is a good measure of a product’s sustainability.

NorDan produces sustainable timber windows which have achieved PEFC accreditation and timber has a low embodied energy (approximately 5.2 MJ.kg). Aluminium has 25 times this value while PVC-U and steel windows are typically accounting for 18 and six times more energy than timber respectively. So windows with large amounts of these materials place a larger burden on the environment.

Among other research, a study from the Whole Life Team at respected construction consultancy Cyril Sweett compares the ‘cradle-to-grave’ cost of NorDan’s NTech window with standard Part L 2006-compliant windows and reveals the NTech saves an astonishing 20,000 tonnes of CO₂ over its entire life.

Professor of Energy Engineering at Napier University Tariq Muneer, describes energy efficiency as ‘the sixth resource’ (after coal, oil, gas, nuclear and renewables), states that super-insulated glazing like the NTech means windows no longer need to be the weak point in the energy efficient building envelope.

NorDan continues its research to remain at the cutting edge of technology and is now focusing on reducing the NTech window’s 0.7 U-value even further.