An American engineer and professor named William Edwards Deming once said : “ Innovation comes from the producer – not the customer .” When it comes to the window industry I couldn ’ t agree more .

After all , what is the incentive for the customer to seek an alternative to a tried , tested and familiar product – and in this context I mean PVCu and aluminium windows – when those products do exactly what is required of them : they let light in , enable those inside to see out and provide an adequate level of security .

However , innovation , like evolution , plays a key role in not only enabling us to adapt to the constant changes and demands of a continually changing world , but also pre-empting those changes and demands by developing products and services that significantly improve the lives of those who use them . The launch of Boavista , Europe ’ s first full range of fibreglass window frames that set new industry standards in sustainability , durability and performance , is a perfect example of this .

It is also a move that I believe has the potential to disrupt the current window supply and install model by providing a credible alternative to plastic and aluminium . In fibreglass window frames I believe that the window revolution has arrived , and here ’ s why .

Green window of opportunity

From a sustainability standpoint , fibreglass is far superior than its PVCu and aluminium counterparts due to its reliance on silica , which is naturally found in abundance , for its production compared with the fossil fuels used to make PVCu windows - a resource that is both heavily polluting and finite .

A Trend Monitor report , entitled ‘ Five Key Trends which will impact on the UK home improvement industry in 2016 ,’ highlighted how the millennial consumer now looks beyond the cost of a purchase , and is more inclined to favour products that

are based on a circular business model , use a minimal amount of the earth ’ s valuable resources and are manufactured in a way that designs out waste throughout the lifecycle of the product . I only see this attitude becoming even more prominent .

Using the latest in pultrusion technology , fibreglass frames are created by pulling resin-soaked glass fibres through heated dies ,

which only consumes 0.07 kilowatt to produce a linear metre of window frame weighing approximately 1kg .

When the windows need replacing , they can simply be shredded into sections and then mixed with concrete and asphalt to deliver a lightweight , stronger and crack and shrinkage-resistant composite material – a process that requires very low energy .

Designing out compromise

Fibreglass opens up a world of design possibilities due to its strength and stability , which enable it to hold large surface areas of glass , bypassing the need to produce and fit specialist , structural glass .

From the perspective of an architect or homeowner , fibreglass frames support more adventurous designs that would previously have been prohibitive due to cost . Not only that , but fibreglass also expands in line with window glass , removing the need for unsightly gaskets to hold the pane in place .

Perhaps one of the most striking features of a fibreglass frame is that , despite weighing half that of aluminium , it is exceptionally hardwearing , highly rot and corrosion resistant and delivers a much longer lifecycle than PVCu and aluminium .

It is these factors that have underpinned the material ’ s success in parts of Europe and Canada , countries that were quick to harness the power of fibreglass to counteract weather-related erosion .

Reducing the maintenance associated with repainting – or even replacing – windows in coastal parts of the UK would not only cut costs but also enhance the local environments .

Future-proofing the UK

The case for fibreglass also applies to the UK ’ s housing market .

A House of Lords report entitled ‘ Building More Homes ,’ concluded that the government ’ s target of one million new homes by 2020 will not be enough . It put forward the case that to address the housing crisis , at least 300,000 new homes are needed annually for the foreseeable future .

If we are to meet this target then the annual window footprint alone would be considerable and the volume of plastic and aluminium required quite daunting .

Given the renewed focus on sustainability , not just by millennials but also by society as a whole , made even more urgent by government targets that seek to reduce the UK ’ s carbon footprint , isn ’ t it time that the industry embraced new approaches to window frames and considered the role it plays in contributing towards delivering sustainable environments ?

The technology exists . The challenge now is to make fibreglass windows a standard component within the built environment to improve the sustainability credentials of today ’ s buildings whilst helping to shape those of tomorrow .

www . boavistawindows . co . uk