The energy efficiency bar has been lifted for the residential building market with the recent confirmation that the minimum energy efficiency requirement for new buildings will rise from five stars to six stars and will take effect no later than May 2011. The new measures offer allow building professionals to respond to consumer expectations for more energy efficient housing by encouraging the selection of energy efficient materials and building components in the early stages of a building’s design.

According to the Australian Building Code Board’s Energy Efficient 2010 provisions, with most other building elements at practical limits of thermal performance, glazing is the remaining pathway to better ratings. Lachlan Austin, general manager of marketing for Viridian, the glass manufacturing and processing business of CSR, says this is an exciting time for the industry to take advantage of the improved technologies in high performance windows and glazing that are available in the market today.

“By considering the more technologically advanced glass alternatives, builders and architects can more easily meet these requirements and clearly demonstrate improved value for their client,” Austin said. “Our consumer research tells us that for people building their own home, capturing views and natural light is fundamental — a home design with ample well-positioned windows is a ‘given’. “Yet, they also want a home that helps decrease their energy bills, and reduce their carbon footprint. These two concepts — appealing light and spacious homes and energy efficiency — are by no means mutually exclusive.”

High performance windows and glass that is currently available can contribute significantly to meeting the 6 Star standards and provide a higher benchmark of home comfort without sacrificing the outlook, spaciousness and natural light available in the home. “Our Low E glass, which we now manufacture here in Australia, achieves a high insulation performance with just a single sheet of glass, as easy to handle and install as ordinary glass,” says Austin. The same Low E glass can be incorporated into other glazing systems, such as the Viridian ComfortPlus range of laminated glass and Viridian ThermoTechE double glazing, which offers up to 68 per cent better insulation than ordinary glass.

“Through combining the properties of different glass make-ups we can achieve energy efficient glazing systems that offer a wide range of other benefits, such as noise reduction, increased safety and security, and reduction of condensation on the windows,” notes Austin.

Architecture & Design Team

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