ABOUT US ABOUT SECONDARY GLAZING OUR PRODUCTS TECHNICAL SUPPORT BLOGS & EVENTS CONTACT US Sustainability of Secondary Glazing Helping meet your carbon reduction commitments With the UK’s commitment to reach net zero by 2050, and approximately 5.4million traditional buildings in England alone, there is a lot of work needed to upgrade both the building fabric and its fittings. Replacing existing windows is not always desirable nor permissible, so secondary glazing, when carefully specified is a very sustainable product choice. The embodied carbon in the existing windows is retained and there is no carbon cost associated with removing and sorting materials for recycling or landfill. This is subject to frames being in good order or repairable but many pre-1919 buildings have sound windows Listed buildings cannot replace single glazed windows but, subject to listed building consents, Approved Document L permits secondary glazing with Low-e glass and Heritage bodies accept it as a reversible adaptation Around 6% of traditional homes are single glazed, many with windows having architectural features that need to be retained. Secondary glazing provides an efficient upgrade An estimated 75% of homes have double glazed windows. Most have been installed since the 1980’s and early designs for sealed units are much less thermally efficient than those needed to meet sustainability targets. Secondary glazing can provide a simple upgrade to triple glazing The life expectancy of secondary glazing can be very long as single glass does not degrade nor does treated aluminium corrode U-Values Building sustainability with secondary glazing By retrofitting an independent secondary glazed window on the room side of the primary glazing, thermal performance is raised, comfort levels are improved, and buildings become more sustainable. If standard glass is selected, heat loss can be reduced by half and by using hardcoat low-E glass the reduction becomes 2/3. By augmenting the specification to high performance sealed units or vacuum units the reduction could reach ¾. For many Listed and heritage buildings this is the only solution. However, secondary glazing should also be considered as a sustainable solution for non-listed properties as embodied carbon is retained in the existing primary window and less materials are used in the manufacture of secondary units compared to new primary windows. Secondary glazing make-up There are 3 main material groups in the Selectaglaze product: Recycled content: Aluminium – 30% of the material used to make the products comes from recycled sources. Optimised cutting programs ensures minimal waste. Glass – 15% of glass supplied is from recycled sources. Material is procured cut to size from suppliers to take advantage of large scale optimised cutting equipment that minimises wastage. Broken and reject glass is returned for recycling as cullet used in the glass manufacturing process. Timber – all timber, including sheet material, supplied as part of a contract is FSC certified. Secondary glazing at end-of-life Protected from the main elements and not limited by sealed units, the life expectancy of secondary glazing exceeds that of a modern replacement window. However, when end of life is reached, approximately 99% of the product can be recycled; Aluminium is fully recyclable and remelted for reuse. Flat glass can be returned to glass processors for recycling and most can be used as cullet in the glass making process. Laminated glass can be used for glass containers or mineral wool. The remaining 1% is formed of gaskets, pile seals and fixing screws, some of which may also be recycled when segregated. Designing sustainable buildings The full Selectaglaze secondary glazing product range is supported with associated NBS Specifications, CAD files and BIM objects for designers wanting to embed the complete data for every aspect of their project helping to assess the projects carbon consumption and ongoing maintenance. Bespoke Quality Paying attention to client demands and performance needs, we have an enviable suite of secondary glazing products to suit nearly any style of window. From the design of the unit, the frame finishes, glazing and ironmongery, the options for customer choice are extensive. OUR PRODUCTS Never miss one bit! Subscribe to our monthly Newsletter to receive updates on our news and CPD initiatives. First Name* Last Name* E-mail address* SUBSCRIBE PAY AN INVOICE CONTACT FORM ABOUT US About Selectaglaze Our Services Our Values Our Sustainability Our Team Accreditations and Affiliations Our Policies Careers at Selectaglaze ABOUT SECONDARY GLAZING What is Secondary Glazing? Benefits Heritage and Listed Buildings Sustainability of Secondary Glazing Case Studies Brochures FAQs Sectors OUR PRODUCTS Product Range Arched and Shaped Windows TECHNICAL SUPPORT Technical Downloads RIBA Approved CPDs BLOGS & EVENTS Blog Events Selectaglaze Limited Alban Park Hatfield Road St Albans AL4 0JJ info@selectaglaze.co.uk +44(0)1727 837271 TERMS AND CONDITIONS PRIVACY POLICY COOKIE POLICY © 2021 SELECTAGLAZE LIMITED ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Our use of cookies This website uses cookies in order to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation as well as allowing us to improve the website for a better user experience. Whilst functional cookies cannot be disabled in order to keep the website working properly, tracking cookies can be deactivated. You can find out more about our use of cookies and change your preferences on our Cookie Policy. Performance Cookies Enabled Functional cookies cannot be disabled CLOSE