It told the story of how one Sheffield homeowner sought out triple glazing to replace their old double glazing to achieve savings on energy bills and improve comfort . They said their decision to choose triple over the double glazing , despite some local installers being insistent it was unnecessary , has paid big dividends .

Despite the current Building Regulations in England & Wales only demanding a U-value of 1.4 W / m 2 K or below , as this BBC story highlighted , many people are prepared to invest in going beyond the minimum performance requirements in their window and door replacement projects if it means creating a better quality home .

The thermal standards for windows and doors in future Building Regulations are yet to be decided , but some industry commentators are predicting that the U-value could drop to 0.8 W / m 2 K within the next couple of years . The latest Approved Document L in England & Wales , which was published in 2021 and amended in 2023 , saw only a relatively minor drop in the maximum permissible U-value for windows , reducing to 1.2 from the previous

1.4 W / m 2 K level . But the general trajectory of thermal performance levels is undeniably downward . The good news for homeowners who are striving for better is that the choice of glazing products available for windows and doors offering the lowest possible U-values is comprehensive and growing all the time . Triple glazing has long been regarded as fundamental for UK homes to become radically more energy efficient and enable the government to achieve its net zero carbon by 2050 target , but it is not the only way to upgrade the performance of windows and doors .

Double glazing with U-values of 1.0 W / m 2 K and lower can already be manufactured using today ’ s advanced glass products . One such product is Planitherm One from Saint-Gobain Glass , which features a unique coating on the glass to reduce heat transferring from inside to outside , as well as to control levels of solar gain to prevent homes overheating in summer .

Planitherm One is proven in the market , offering excellent clarity and light transmission , and it can be used in all types of windows and doors , including

conservatories . It has been widely used in double glazed units for years and is increasingly being incorporated in triple glazed units to offer an ultra-low U-value of just 0.7 .

Products such as Planitherm One , and its sister-product Planitherm Total Plus , which is the UK ’ s most popular glass product of its kind for compliance standard double glazing , have played an important role in enabling the window industry to comfortably achieve improved

performance across the board .

Versatile and effective glass products for double and triple glazed like Planitherm give ambitious customers viable options for achieving their ‘ better than compliance ’ goals , unlike emerging products such as vacuum glazing . Whilst these new glass products offer amazing potential , they are prohibitively expensive and are unlikely to gain mass market penetration . The versatility of Planitherm

is further demonstrated through its suitability for integral blind units . These are double or triple glazed units where a Venetian or pleated blind is encapsulated within the cavity , offering a sleek shading and privacy solution that stays pristine throughout a long , virtually maintenance-free service life .

Morley Glass , the UK ’ s largest manufacturer of bespoke integral blinds made using the world ’ s leading systems , ScreenLine ®, uses

Planitherm in many of its products . The combined performance provided by Planitherm glass and the integrated shading system enables low U-values to be achieved , making it ideally suited to next generation homes which are optimised for energy efficiency as well as comfort and aesthetics .

More information on choosing the right glass for low U-value windows and doors can be found at www . morleyglass . co . uk