3 Steps to Eco-Friendly Commercial Window Design
- By Admin
- •
- 15 Oct, 2018
- •
If you are adding more windows to your existing business to help bring in more natural sunlight, then you are already taking a great step toward conserving energy and helping the environment. When more natural light illuminates your building, you can reduce your reliance on electricity, which is often produced by burning fossil fuels which pollute the air.
However, realize there are also many steps you can take during the window design process to keep your project as eco-friendly as possible and look forward to even more energy savings.
1. Add Windows to the South-Facing Side of Your Building
Many people do not realize what a dramatic impact window placement has on the energy efficiency of a building. Windows placed on the east- or west-facing sides of a building tend to lead to much more energy waste than those placed on the north- and south-facing sides of a building.
Placing plenty of windows on the south-facing side of your building can help harness plenty of passive solar energy from the sun to keep your building warm in the winter. This can help you rely on your heating system much less. For the most heat gain in the winter, ensure your windows are placed within 5 to 15 degrees of true south.
The right window overhang can shield these windows from the sun in the summer to help keep your building cool.
While windows placed on the north side of your building will not harness as much solar heat as those placed on the south side of it, windows facing north are much more energy efficient than those facing east or west and can help illuminate your building naturally.
2. Consider Your Window Frame Options
Not all window frames are suitable for commercial windows. Aluminum frames are typically used when constructing window curtains and storefronts. However, when installing a single window unit or a series of commercial windows, there are several window frame options, including vinyl, fiberglass, and aluminum.
Aluminum is recyclable, so it is a very environmentally friendly window frame. You may be surprised to hear that vinyl is also a very eco-friendly window frame material that is 100% recyclable. Vinyl can be physically or chemically recycled.
When physically recycled, it is broken down into very small pieces, melted, and then re-formed into new vinyl products. When chemically recycled, it is broken down into the chemicals chlorine and carbon that the material is made of. These chemicals can then be re-used in a variety of ways.
While fiberglass is not recyclable at this time, it is often made from recycled glass.
The window frames used in your new window design must be strong enough to support the load of the building wall they are placed on, so your window design professional will recommend the eco-friendly window frame that is best for your window project.
3. Choose Energy-Efficient Glass
to choose double-pane glass, which can insulate your building much more efficiently than single-pane glass can. Double-pane windows allow 50% less heat to flow through them in the winter, helping you retain your heated air.
For maximum energy efficiency, may also want to consider triple-pane windows. While these windows increase building energy efficiency, they are often very heavy. This means their frame choices are limited, and they may or may not be suitable for your building depending on how much additional weight the building wall they will be added to can bear.
A low-E window coating is also a great option that can help your building conserve heat in the winter and stay cool in the summer. These coatings are made of fine metallic particles that are either adhered to the outer surfaces of your windows or sandwiched between the two panes of glass in a double-pane window. They reflect heat back to its original source.
When you're ready to lower your building's environmental impact and start saving on energy bills, contact Kenny Glass to get your commercial window project started.
The shower scene usually moves trends slowly throughout the year, and one of those that stands out is Satin Brass. This finish is available in many different layouts from a single shower door, to shower door and panel(s), all the way to barn style sliding models. Larger companies like C.R. Laurence Company and Frameless Hardware Company have always offered Satin Brass, but smaller companies are now adding the finish to their products.
Residential Service Manager for Kenny Glass, Tricia Brand, has noticed Satin Brass becoming more of a regular. “Black has still remained popular along with Brushed Nickel” she said, and while it isn’t in the top choices, this finish has shown to be slowly climbing to those top spots.
Satin Brass provides the warmth of brass but has a softer muted hue, with a golden yellow brushed look. Its subtle matte finish helps with keeping fingerprints from showing as well.
This finish is flexible. It can stay retro, but also become elegant and modern if needed. Satin Brass can easily be mixed with the bright tone of Chrome for a complementing contrast, or by itself to create distinctively noticeable fixtures. Pair it with white or light grey for a soft, clean look. Also adding in a black or deep blue vanity or dark floor tile can make it really stand out and become noticed.
Satin Brass and many other finishes are available in our framed, semi-frameless, sliding, and fully frameless shower enclosures. Stop in at our Columbus or Seymour location today, to let us help achieve the look you’re after.
