Back on to the theme of triple glazing again, and more specifically, the energy efficiency side of the argument. The forthcoming debate, and indeed to debate about triple glazing for the rest of this year is going to focus on energy efficiency, and more specifically what the industry should use as a means of measuring that efficiency.
I think it’s fairly accurate to say that most of the window industry agrees that U-Values are the most accurate way of measuring a window’s thermal efficiency. The maths involved in the calculations are deemed to be more accurate, meaning the end results are more trustworthy. Yet when energy efficiency measure became law a few years ago, the BFRC and the industry went along with energy ratings, simply because of the fact that homeowners recognise the certification more and it would be an easier option to market – in my opinion. But dig a littler deeper into the claims made by WERs and those that advocate it, and the accuracy is flimsy at best.
So, which way are we going to go? If the industry is to start getting behind triple glazing properly and stop doubting the said benefits by it’s champions, then we’re going to need facts, and good ones. U-Values are more accurate than WERs, that’s a fact. So why not as an industry decide once and for all that if we’re going to be taken seriously as an industry by the consumer, we need to choose the most accurate ways to describe the energy efficiency of our triple glazing, as well as standard double glazing too.
And while we’re at it, lets have some hard facts about noise reduction too. One of the most advertised benefits of triple glazing up to press has been for noise reduction. But ask anyone who knows just a little bit about glass and they will tell you that a double glazed unit with different thicknesses of glass will do exactly the same if not better than triple glazing when it comes to noise reduction.
The only way triple glazing is going to have the full backing of the doubters in the industry is by openly showing hard facts. We all need to know what is better and what is worse with triple glazing, then we can make a properly informed decision as to whether it is a product that needs pushing, or if it will forever remain a niche.
That all makes sense to me , with triple glazing the u values will be such that Pilks may be able to sell K on u-values without resorting to the need to use low iron and benefit from the vastly exagerated solar gain in the WER formula to get C-rating compliance.