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PRO INSTALLER JUNE 2015
PRO NEWS
@proinstaller1
FIRST ‘A++’ RATING FOR ENERGY
EFFICIENT WINDOWS LAUNCHED
BFRC has officially launched the applications process for the first
‘A++’ band in England & Wales for Window Energy Ratings (WERs).
There will be four
months for window
companies to develop
new ‘A++’ product as
the first licences will
not be issued until 1st
October 2015 – with the
first ‘A++’ product being
launched shortly afterwards.
‘BFRC is driving technological
developments’
BFRC follows the 10 point
band cut offs illustrated in
section 4.2 of Approved Document L1b’. The new ‘A++’
rating will be no different,
with ratings starting at an
energy index value equal to
or greater than +20. This
means any BFRC ‘A+’ rated
product which achieves 20
or more can be upgraded to
an ‘A++’ for an administration
and verification fee of £100
(ex VAT).
Alternatively, manufacturers
can also apply for new ‘A++’
licences. All applications
must be accompanied by a
simulation report and can be
made either directly to BFRC
or through an Independent
Agency.
These new ‘A++’ licences
are available both as Simplified Energy Licences (SELs)
and Detailed Energy Licences
(DELs).
“The launch of the BFRC
‘A++’ ratings band – the first
in the country – reinforces
the message that BFRC is
driving technological developments that give homeowners the latest and best in
energy efficient windows,”
comments BFRC managing
director Chris Mayne. “And
contrary to some ill-informed
comment within the industry
’A++’ rated windows will not
cause homes to overheat.”
‘A++’ and the
Overheating
Misconception
Overheating in a domestic
situation happens when the
internal room temperature
Taking up the
Challenge
The weekend of the 26th - 27th June will see members of staff
from The VEKA UK Group taking to two wheels to raise funds for
the company’s nominated charity, The Encephalitis Society.
The cyclists’ route
will cover 100 miles
of beautiful Wiltshire
countryside over the
two days, passing
landmarks such as the
Avebury Stone Circle,
Stonehenge and the
Wiltshire White Horses.
Support for the charity was
decided after Mark Barsby,
Head of Technical was diagnosed with an autoimmune
form of Limbic Encephalitis
last year. He, in discussion
with Head of Commercial
Sales, Richard Garland and
Head of Product Management, Steve Bakewell,
planned the challenge as
part of the company’s yearlong fundraising programme
for the charity.
Mark explained: “I wanted
to do my bit and put something back for the help The
Encephalitis Society had given me. Steve gave us some
ideas as he had already
taken part in similar events
to raise money for charity.
“I decided to make some
changes to my diet and
exercise more when I came
out of hospital. As part
of my goal, however, I’ve
promised myself an ice cold
beer and a hot sausage roll
on completion of the second day as they’re probably
the two things I’ve missed
the most!”
Colin Torley, Sales and Marketing Director for The VEKA
UK Group said: “The support
Mark received from The
Encephalitis Society made it
an obvious candidate for our
support. We normally work
with charities for six-month
periods but this cause is so
close to our hearts that, in
this case, we decided to dedicate a full year’s support.”
www.encephalitis.info
becomes higher than the
comfort level, and cannot be
reduced by simply opening the windows. It can be
caused by two factors:The first is high external
ambient temperatures, which
can lead to high internal
ambient temperatures due to
heat conduction through the
building envelope (including,
but not limited to, windows).
But ‘A++’ (and ‘A+’) windows have significantly lower
U values than lower rated
windows, so they will reduce
the amount of heat being
transferred into the home
from outside. With existing
glass coating technology,
there is a hard physical
upper limit to solar gain
performance that cannot be
exceeded, so the only way to
achieve higher ratings bands
is through lower U values.
The second cause of overheating is excessive solar
gain - particularly on south
facing elevations.
It is expected that all ‘A++’
windows (and about 70% of
‘A+’) use triple glazing, with
two panes of low-e coated
glass. Their solar gain factor
is significantly lower than
the equivalent double glazed
window.
So all BFRC ‘A++’ rated
windows (and the majority
of ‘A+’) will actually help to
reduce overheating during
the summer months. In the
winter they will help keep
the home much warmer.
“A further benefit to ‘A++’
windows is their lower U values give warmer internal surfaces effectively eliminating
the risk of internal condensation,” adds Gary Morgan
BFRC technica