Analysing the environmental impact of windows: A review

Souviron, Jean; Moeseke, Geoffrey Van; Khan, Ahmed Z.

doi:10.1016/j.buildenv.2019.106268

Cited by 38 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…This last point is a fundamental issue if one wants to assess the impact of a technical solution taking into account global warming potential (GWP). This is especially the case when comparing the environmental performance of double and triple glazing, as the amount of material and energy used for their production is not the same and has a great influence on the energy and carbon footprint of a window [22].…”

Section: Theoretical Efficiency Rates Of Double and Triple Glazingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Passive solar heating through glazing: The limits and potential for climate change mitigation in the European building stock

Ménard¹,

Souviron

2020

Energy and Buildings

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Glazing transparency provides buildings with valuable solar energy during periods of colder weather, thus contributing to the mitigation of climate change. However, this same transparency also leads to heat loss which can offset heat gains. Although the use of insulated glazing addresses this challenge by multiplying the number of glass panes, at the same time it reduces the solar factor and thus the heating potential. This article aims to estimate the potential for passive solar heating in Europe according to the energy performance of glazing.This potential is undoubtedly a valuable resource for sustainable architecture. However, an analysis based on regional weather conditions shows a wide disparity in the energy savings that can be expected from a south-facing facade. These savings are most often well below a building's average energy consumption and so a balance has to be found between the thermal resistance and the solar factor of glazing. In addition, the carbon footprint and cost of the most efficient glazing can considerably extend the environmental and economic payback time of a retrofit.This research shows that the potential for passive solar heating is significant but only as long as each architectural situation is analysed according to its specific context and function. This potential would be even greater if windows were designed and used as adjustable facade elements to suit variations in weather and use.

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Section: Theoretical Efficiency Rates Of Double and Triple Glazingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Passive solar heating through glazing: The limits and potential for climate change mitigation in the European building stock

Ménard¹,

Souviron

2020

Energy and Buildings

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“…Indeed, a wooden window can last for more than 50 years, and ease of repair has enabled many frames to become centenarians. In contrast, a plastic window has an average lifespan of around 20 years and usually ends up in landfill (Souviron et al 2019).…”

Section: Glazing Beyond Insulation Efficiencymentioning

confidence: 99%

The construction of efficiency: Glazing insulation in France and Belgium since 1945

Souviron¹

2021

History of Construction Cultures

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The growth of Western urban landscapes in the aftermath of World War II brought new standards of com-fort and convenience; one of the emblematic products of this modernization was glazing. Openings became larger, enhancing transparency and bringing abundant light; however, they also led to considerable heat loss. It became imperative that glazing play a part in insulating buildings. This article traces the history of glaz-ing insulation across the second half of the 20th century. Focusing on case studies of residences in France and Belgium and industry archival material, this article analyses the wide variety of glazing products that were developed between 1950 and 1990. Although all of them significantly improved thermal comfort, each conditioned the relationship between indoor and outdoor climates in a different way. In response to increas-ing demands for energy efficiency, sealed insulated glazing ultimately became ubiquitous, bringing about a profound transformation of our relationship with our environment.

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“…The primary goal was decreasing ambient temperature and humidity. Souvirona et al [10] have studied the indoor thermal comfort of window glazing and frame types regarding energy consumption. The LCA of double-glazed aluminum-clad timber windows was carried out by Asif [1] to estimate the environmental impacts using the SimaPro and Ecoinvent databases.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Integrated Analysis With Life Cycle Assessment, Building Information Modeling, and Environmental Performance for Window Materials: Assiut University Hospital Clinic as a Case Study

Ali

2020

JES. Journal of Engineering Sciences

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The main goal of this study is to undertake the three methods of life cycle assessment (LCA), the environmental performance (EP), and the building information modeling (BIM) to determine the environmental performance and impacts of two window frame materials: aluminum and wood. This study has been carried out in a proposed project at the Assiut University campus. The LCA has been conducted by assessing materials and processes involved in manufacturing the two window frame types using the SimaPro. The LCA scope of this research covers from cradle to the gate with a designated system boundary. The network flow has been drawn to produce one kilogram of aluminum and wood; the quantities data were gathered from the BIM (using Autodesk Revit). Selecting the database is carefully picked from the Ecoinvent dataset to be closer to Egypt's manufacturing processes. Afterwards, the IMPACT 2002+ with midpoint and endpoint calculations has been used. Finally, the LCA results have been compared with the EP results (using DesignBuilder) to determine the best choice between the two materials. The integration analysis shows that the aluminum industry has higher negative environmental impacts and environmental performance than the wood industry. The total midpoint results of the two materials are found to be 29.6 for aluminum, and 2

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Analysing the environmental impact of windows: A review

Cited by 38 publications

References 42 publications

Passive solar heating through glazing: The limits and potential for climate change mitigation in the European building stock

Passive solar heating through glazing: The limits and potential for climate change mitigation in the European building stock

The construction of efficiency: Glazing insulation in France and Belgium since 1945

An Integrated Analysis With Life Cycle Assessment, Building Information Modeling, and Environmental Performance for Window Materials: Assiut University Hospital Clinic as a Case Study

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