Serious windows, leaders in efficient window technology, now available in vancouver and greater bc.

Biostruct is very excited to announce the launch of our office and distribution centre in Vancouver at the collaborative green business space, the HiVE. We are a dealer for Serious Windows, the leading energy efficient window maker, using high-tech suspended film, and fiberglass window technology to reduce your energy costs, and lower you environmental impact.

Upgrading to a more efficient window. Does it pay off?

Does it pay off to upgrade to a more efficient window? According to Steve Selkowitz, a leading thinker on energy efficiency and building science (who works out of the Lawrence Berkeley Lab), the answer is a definite yes– “If we add up all the energy and economic impact of windows in the US, it costs building owners about $40 billion a year. And I’d rather have the $40 billion in my pocket than sort of sending it out the window.” Put another way, the U.S. Department of Energy estimates that despite the push for more insulated walls and ceilings, 25 to 35 percent of the energy used in American buildings and homes is wasted due to inefficient windows and glass. The situation in Canada is not much better, and may actually be worse. In fact, we rank 27th out of 29 OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) nations in terms of energy use per capita. This is more than five times the world average. Of course, we live in a colder climate than most, but isn’t that all the more reason we should be adopting better building codes that conserve the finite fossil fuels we are exporting in ever-increasing quantities? According to CMHC, every home in Canada requires the equivalent of 392 barrels of oil to build, and uses over 40 barrels to operate (a year). When it comes to making a more efficient window, technology has come a long way in recent years. Yet industry has been slow to adopt these improvements, primarily due to cost. Single and dual pane windows are still commonplace in many residential and commercial buildings today. Many people may be surprised to learn that dual and triple pane window technology was developed way back in 1865, around the time of the invention of the telephone and the presidency of Abraham Lincoln. Not until the 1930s did these more efficient windows gain industry acceptance. Triple-pane windows, coated with Low-E coatings (see below) are now commonplace in retrofits and new developments that want to achieve a lower energy and environmental footprint, but may have several disadvantages over more efficient window technology now available.There are a number of factors you should be aware of when it comes to choosing windows:

1. U-Value (the measure of conduction or heat loss and gain through a material): The lower the U- value or higher the R- value of a window, the better. It’s important to look at the Full-Frame R-Value, not a centre-of-glass R-value. This is because the U-value of the unit is affected not only by the glass, but also by the frame the glass sits in. Many companies mislead consumers about the R-value of their windows; if and when they mention it, they may really be talking only about the centre-of-glass R-value, resulting in a much less efficient window than advertised.
2. Coatings & Gas Fills: Low-E or Low-Emissivity coatings are invisible metallic layers deposited on a glass surface to impede heat flow through the glass. Gas fills may include Argon, Krypton or Xenon. These are injected into the airspace to improve the window’s thermal performance or R-value. Argon is the cheapest option and most common, but pricier gas fills will result in a more energy efficient window. It is also important that the seals used to hold in the gas fills are built to last. There is no point paying for expensive gas fills that leak out, leaving you with a standard, not particularly efficient window.
3. Solar Heat Gain Coefficient: According to the Efficient Window Collaborative, “The SHGC is the fraction of incident solar radiation admitted through a window, both directly transmitted and absorbed and subsequently released inward. SHGC is expressed as a number between 0 and 1. The lower a window’s solar heat gain coefficient, the less solar heat it transmits.” Depending upon how your building uses sun angles for passive temperature control, you may want a higher or lower SHGC on different walls. Serious Windows offers options to fit your ideal design.
4. Air Leakage Rate: This measures how much infiltration or leakage exists around a window or door. ALRs are typically shown in units of cubic feet per minute for square footage of area (m3 / s). The lower the number, the more airtight the window/door will be. Are more airtight window is a more energy efficient window, saving you money, long-term.
5. Visible Light Transmittance: The VLT is the measure of how much light will make it through the glass. In most cases, the more layers of glass it has to travel through, the lower the amount of light that will shine through. Most windows have a VLT of between .40 and .70, whereas a single pane window would be almost 90%. Newer technology, called Spectrally Selective Glass (also called Solar Tuned), targets specific wavelengths of sunlight, to let in the short wave or visible spectrum and block the long wave or heat gaining spectrum, which may be highly desirable.
6. Airspace Thickness & Suspended Film: On its own, glass has very poor insulative properties. This is why the boundary layer of air between the glass layers is also important. Widening the airspace can increase the R-value of the window. The use of Suspended films are helpful here to reduce the convection and energy transfer without the weight and size of more glass, achieving similar R-values as quadruple-pane windows.
7. Materials Used/Durability: Some frame materials are superior to others. Metal frames tend to conduct a lot more heat than fibreglass or wood. Wood has long-term durability issues if not constantly maintained and may be chemically-treated. PVC plastic poses health issues, as its production creates dioxin and other potentially carcinogenic by-products. Many organizations are campaigning for its ban in building materials. Fiberglass frames are the best window frames available, being durable, strong, long-lasting, and aesthetically-pleasing. They can be painted multiple colours, and provide enhanced insulation. Weight should also be taken into account for windows. Some window technology such as quadruple-pane windows can have impressive U-values but are heavier and more cumbersome, and only available in small sizes.
8. Site Conditions: All of the variables mentioned are important, but none is perhaps more important than the actual site where your energy efficient windows are to be installed. Consideration must be taken when deciding what windows should go in what location. Conditions are different for every direction and even with respect to the layout of your yard. Depending on your situation you might want to have energy modeling done, or consult a qualified green building professional.

The world is changing quickly, and most global energy experts agree that energy costs are only going to increase and/or become more volatile in the coming years. Increasing the efficiency of your home is an excellent way to protect yourself from this volatility. Now is a great time to look at retrofitting your home—upgrading to a more efficient window and better insulation, etc. There are great incentives to take advantage of, such as the LiveSmart BC program, which may save you up to $110 per window unit. The City of Vancouver is offering a Home Energy Loan program (vancouver.ca/energyloan) that deserves consideration. Also check out Natural Resources Canada’s list of Grants and Incentives at http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/corporate/1513. Unfortunately, at the time of this writing, the federal government program, EcoEnergy has been cancelled as of January 31st, 2012, by the federal Conservatives. Please visit saveecoenergy.ca and sign the petition to restore funding

Looking forward, other progressive initiatives coming down the pipe include: energy transparency when buying and selling a home—meaning you will know exactly how much energy a home uses and where it needs improvements or upgrades; green appraisals—where energy-efficient technologies are taken more heavily into account when determining the appraised value of a property, and nutrition-fact type labeling on building products, disclosing how a product was made, what chemicals were used, and whether or not the latter are carcinogenic.

Exciting changes are in the wind; don’t let them take you by surprise! If you are interested in learning more about our high-performance, energy efficient window line, Serious Windows, please give as a call at 604.379.9477