Energy Efficient Windows 2.0?

Some very smart people in South Korea have produced a new type of 'smart glass', which has the potential be cheaper and be more reliable than the current market offering.

How does it work? The glass is laced with a charge counterion polymer, which darkens in seconds when outside air temperatures become high - keeping the inside of your home cool. But crucially, the glass is able to become completely transparent in seconds during colder times of the year, meaning the glass can make the most of the sunshine on offer to create heat.

Korean scientists: "This type of light control system may provide a new option for saving on heating, cooling and lighting costs through managing the light transmitted into the interior of a house."

There have been skeptics of the current energy efficient glass on offer, and how well it really works in harnessing the sun's light, and the overall efficiency of the window. But with the creation of a type of glass that can be physically seen to change appearance due to the climate, it may help put that issue to bed.

The other plus point are the reports that it could be quite a bit cheaper than the current glass options available. This has to be welcome news for the whole industry. Installers and unit manufacturers alike would welcome the introduction of this new product, while hoping at the same time that the glass cartel don't take advantage and slap a premium price on it!

You can read the full report at: http://www.thetechherald.com/article.php/201139/7661/Korean-boffins-create-new-energy-efficient-smart-glass

No More Price Increases?

I don't want to tempt fate here, but has everyone noticed that the steady stream of price increase letters from suppliers seems to have dried up a little?


During the spring and early summer installation companies were inundated almost every week with letters from suppliers explaining how costs were going up. Glass suppliers were the worst offenders, as were Pilkington, with regular increases on the price of their insulating glass of 10-40%.


I'm wondering if the price increases have plateaued somewhat. We haven't had any at our place for a month or two, which based on the regularity of previous increase letters, does seem quite a while.


There was a huge fear back in the spring that the plethora of price increases were going to cripple businesses into shutting their doors, but up to now I haven't heard any reports of mass bankruptcies and closures.


I don't doubt though that the increases felt over the last 18 months will have had some impact on businesses. Margins will have been squeezed ever further, redundancies will have been made, making trading ever harder.

Pilkington To Open £36 Million Energy Efficient Glazing Line

More good news has been released from Pilkington, with their announcement that they are to open a new energy-efficient coating facility at their current base in St Helens, worth £36 million. This new line will also create 50 brand new jobs.


This is further good news, following the re-opening of their production plant in St Helens last year, which created 130 jobs.


The new line will produce highly energy efficient glass which will be used in residential properties where the glass will be installed to reduce CO2 emissions and lower energy bills for home-owners.


The opening of this new line was helped after Pilkington was given £5 million by the new UK Regional Growth fund, and the new facility should be turning out the first sheets of glass by October 2012.


A report by the Liverpool Daily Post can be read here.

Polymer Prices Set To Rise Further

Due to the recent Japanese Earthquake, Toray Fine Chemicals Company Ltd, producer of polysulphide polymer, has had to cease production for an unspecified period of time.

The plant was damaged in the recent earthquake, and due to damage to most of Japan's nuclear reactors, power to everywhere north of Tokyo has had to be rationed to stop areas of the country going into blackouts.

The problem is that over 30% of Western Europe's polysulphide polymer is made by Toray. Moreover, the other polymer producers are already working at full capacity, therefore they won't be able to take up the slack and make up for Toray's lack of prodcution.

Because of this, polymer prices look set to rise further. This comes after recent increases in the cost of PVCu.

Also, the PIB based sealants used in the production of IG units has been disrupted by the disaster in Japan. Again, prices are set to increase, and glass producers are being warned not to enter into any long term agreements.

Pilkington To Reopen Operations

Pilkington have announced that they are to reopen one of their float lines in St Helens. This is intended to produce glass for the solar energy market.

This is obvious good news for an area which was hit badly by the closure of St. Helens glass after over 30 years in business. Solar energy is fast growing market, so the opening of a line dedicated just for the production of glass to that market should be quite a profitable development.

How Hard Is It To Produce Shaped Sealed Units?

A job I have just recently finished pricing involved trying to produce some very intricate sealed units to fit into the stone work frames of an old chapel being converted into flats. I contacted both our suppliers for sealed units and at first both neither was keen to produce the designs I had sent to them. There were plenty of very small circular designs, as well as something which resembled a three leaf clover, plus the typical church-like arched units. The first of our suppliers came back to us with a rediculous price. But whether that was becasue they didn't want to do the job or because they didn't have the specialist equipment I don't know. The second supplier however did seem more helpful. They did have to use something call a 'water-jet', never heard of one of those before, unless I heard him wrong! This jet they said was particularly expensive, but despite that, they were £1000 less than the other price I received.

This led me to thinking, how hard/easy is it to make unusal/intricate designs? I am going to a factory tour of our suppliers soon so some of my questions should be answered there. But for any of you who work in the sealed unit manufacturing sector, please feel free to educate me further!

Star Product: Uni-Blind

I might do more of these types of posts to help highlight some of the better individual products that are around in our market.

We have been using the Integral/Uni-Blind system for a few years now and have had great success with it. The beauty of these blinds is simple. They are fitted within the sealed unit and operated by magnets within the blind mechanism at the top; therefore a sealed unit stays just that, sealed. They are easy to fit from an installation point of view and it has been excellent in terms of the product's reliability. We have had very few problems, and I would have to think very far back to come up with a time where we did have an issue.

From a customer point of view they provide a great opportunity to up-sell. Because they are within the glass the customer will never have to clean the blinds, they won't develop smells like bathroom and kitchen blinds do. Mould never becomes an issue. They are as convenient as normal venetian blinds and are as easy to operate.

The one downside from an industry point of view is that they are produced in Italy, and not here in Britain, which is a shame but no surprise. Therefore they are slightly more expensive than normal blinds. But, the selling points are massive, and they have hardly any obvious drawbacks for the customers, so they won't mind paying that extra premium for something so innovative. Also, they can be made to almost any size, so will suit any size window or glazed door.

The UK Unexpectedly Stays In Recession

The UK economy was dealt a bit of a disaster blow this morning after it was revealed the economy shrunk a further -0.4% in the last quarter, meaning we remain in recession. It was widely expected for the UK to return to growth in the last quarter, but these negative results may dampen the mood of recovery somewhat, and really put into perspective the size of the task at hand, getting the economy back on track. This is also the longest recession on record, a detail the industrial sector probably didn’t want to hear.

This could have a negative affect on our industry. While companies have been doing their best to beat the doom and gloom and keep their heads above water, this, coupled with 50% glass price increases by the major glass manufacturers, could be the two final nails in the coffins of those companies who have just managed to survive through the year by the skin of their teeth.

What will be ultimately concerning is the upcoming winter period. The double glazing industry and the country as a whole was relying on the third quarterly figures to be positive, giving the economy some momentum heading into the Christmas period. Now, thoughts will again be turning back to just surviving through the winter and hoping to make a more positive start when spring comes around. I've said in earlier posts that there may not be the bloodbath in company insolvencies that some had predicted. But after the latest figures from http://www.double-glazing-forum.com/ and these latest quarterly figures out today, I'm forced to change my opinion and believe that it could be a much tougher winter period that I had first thought.

SIGN THE WINDOWS SCRAPPAGE SCHEME PETITION NOW!: http://www.petitions.number10.gov.uk/windowscrappage

Artificial Glass Shortages, More Price Increases?

Well, as if we didn't need any more hindrance from Pilkington's massively unjustified price increases; there are now rumors that they are to shut down a number of plants across Europe. In doing so creating a shortage, and allowing them to artificially raise prices further. And remember, whatever Pilkington do, the rest copy. This came to light after reading page 2 of 'The Installer' this morning.

We have to walk away! The industry has to speak up in one massive collective voice and say f*** you. Enough is enough, when are we all going to get together properly and start to look at alternative glass suppliers.

If we were all to walk away, Pilkington would lose one of their biggest and best markets. There is not a single reason to explain why shutting down some of their plants would be justified, and surely this cannot be legal!

GAP and Rockdoor have done it, they are sourcing their glass from the Far-East, I know that out-sourcing glass from the Far-East would not do our economy much good, but I don't think it would be a long term arrangement, plus it would be more harmful to the economy to stay with Pilkington as more businesses would become insolvent, more companies I think could be saved by sourcing cheaper glass from the Far-East temporarily. If we all said 'see 'ya' to Pilkington for a while, it might change the approach the glass cartel has towards our end of the industry.

Not PVCu, But Glazing Non The Less

Found this on the glass times website, unitised curtain walling at it's best if you ask me:

Now sadly this isn't a UK project, it's actually been constructed in Doha, Qatar. But I challenge architects in this country to be a bit more creative and original. Though planning would probably put an immediate stop to anything like this over here!

www.glasstimes.co.uk has more specifics on this 200m gem.

Triple Glazed Units

We all know how fast the energy efficiency of double glazed units is improving. But does anyone know the energy rating for a window that is triple glazed?

This has only crossed my mind again recently as a customer of ours is requesting a triple glazed, diamond leaded window option, with the lead encapsulated, and wants to know what the maximum energy rating would be on a window with this glass spec.

Any ideas?

Replacement Sealed Units

Replacement glass units are a great source of revenue for us as a company. Many companies don't want the work because they don't see the job as being worth it. Whether it be one sealed unit, eleven or twenty five, we take on all sizes of replacement jobs, and we make a great profit margin too. They're easy to fit, quick job to complete, short lead times and great for cash flow. Plus it shows to the customer a company's willing to take on any job big or small, which will only help build a good reputation. I can see lots more of this type of work being undertaken, especially with the current mindset of 'don't move, improve'.