May 26 2010
Bekaert Specialty Films has announced that its architectural solar control window films Panorama and Solar Gard help reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. These building improvement products compute and report carbon footprint. By decreasing the amount of power consumed for cooling homes and commercial buildings, Panorama and Solar Gard window films assist reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
Solar Gard films are more efficient in comparison with low-e coatings when it comes to rejecting solar heat. These films are cost-effective and carbon-effective. As a matter of fact, Solar Gard films installed during 2007 and 2008 have prevented 3.6 million tons of carbon dioxide from entering into the earth’s atmosphere, which equals the overall carbon footprint of 16,350 families in the U.S. Moreover, the carbon cost of 1 sq. m. of a low-e wood window stands at 253 kg, whereas the Solar Gard film carbon cost is less than 1 kg per sq. m.
The impact that Solar Gard has on reducing worldwide carbon emissions is huge as cooling and heating systems in buildings generate considerable quantities of GHG emissions. Enhanced fenestration can reduce GHG emissions and energy usage by 10-40% in both residential and commercial buildings.
Bekaert Specialty Films has invested over $1 million to measure and certify its carbon footprint, update the company’s environmental management systems as well as perform lifecycle analysis, which is necessary for Climate Declaration. The company has spent over a year gathering and analyzing information, complying with ISO 14025 standards. Five Winds International and Alta Nova, LLC, two independent organizations, performed the review and audit on the information before registering the same with The International EPD Consortium.
Source: http://bekaertfilms.com/