Green Building: How Installing Window Film Benefits the Environment
Window film
benefits the environment in a number of ways and have been recognized by USGBC
for Energy & Atmosphere LEED credits.
Window Films that Conserve
Energy
Solar Controland Low-Emissivity (Low-E) window films available from Apex Window Film help
Toronto area homes and businesses conserve energy and save money by controlling
heat gain and/or loss. While many customers choose solar film to improve
comfort by balancing interior hot spots and glare, the films reduce the need for
air conditioning. Some Apex clients have found an improvement of more than
20°F in sunny rooms.
Low-E window film
also keeps heat from escaping during winter months, reducing energy consumption
from furnaces and boilers.
While individual
results will vary depending upon the specific installation, window films are a
proven energy saver and a great way to protect our environment.
According to Bekaert
Window Films, research documents that solar control window films offer
Energy savings of up to 30%:
By
rejecting up to "79% of solar energy, window
film keeps aroom cooler andmore comfortable. In commercial buildings, window film reduces
theHVACload and
can significantly reduce the need to run cooling systems which areoftenused to control uncomfortable
heat pockets. Window film eliminatesheat
pockets, sorooms stay a consistent, cooler
temperature."
REUSE -
it is a fundamental precept of conservation. RENOVATE and
RETROFIT
are fundamental
green building practices; wherever possible attempts should be made
to reuse
elements of existing structures in order to eliminate unnecessary waste caused
by a re-build.
Window film is a
retrofit. Window film allows you to improve your existing glass,
eliminating the waste of replacing old windows to achieve your desired
objective; whether you want to improve comfort, privacy, safety or security, Apex
window films can be applied to almost all existing glass features.
Many businesses are turning to window film over glass
etching
because it saves money while achieving virtually identical results.
But another
great benefit is that the film can eventually be removed. This means that
should the business move to another location the glass will not need to be
removed (and become waste). The next occupant can remove the film and the
simple clear glass will be restored.
While installed
for permanence with high quality adhesives, all Apex window films can be removed
should the need arise*. Removing window film rather than replacing glass
means less waste in our overburdened landfills.
For more
information on Canadian green building practices, visit the Canada Green
Building Council (CaGBC) website at:
www.cagbc.org
Environmental Responsibility in
Manufacturing
Apex Window
Films is the foremost installer of high quality Bekaert Window Films in the GTA.
Bekaert is a trailblazer in environmental responsibility for the window film
manufacturing sector. Bekaert was the first to measure their worldwide
carbon footprint in manufacturing, and has been named a Climate Action Leader by
the California Climate Action Registry.
*Contact Apex Window Films for more information
on this process.