SYLOR takes the protection of the environment very seriously
In a recent study, the international environmental organization WWF concludes that wood offers the most environmentally-friendly solution to window construction. Read the entire WWF study on window materials and the environment here.
Energy saving
Carbon emissions
A subject of major environmental significance is energy management. WWF underlines that the manufacturing of PVC windows requires 8 times more energy than that needed for the construction of wooden windows.
Energy consumption is even higher during aluminum production, as the last requires very large quantities of electricity for the isolation of the element from its raw materials (e.g. Bauxite).
The significance of this issue is made clear in a recent study by the American Department of Energy, focusing on the consumption of energy during aluminum production (read the entire study here).
It quotes the aluminum production industry as the largest consumer of electrical energy per unit weight of product, and more generally the most energy-consuming industry of all.
The study mentions that the yearly energy consumption of the American aluminum industry on its own would suffice to cover the energy needs of 7 million house-holds.
Besides production itself, wooden doors and windows contribute significantly to energy saving due to their exceptionally low heat conductivity. This lack of thermal conduction means that using wood limits heat loss significantly, thus lowering the amount of energy needed for the heating of a given space.
Well-known issues of great environmental significance are air-pollution and the green-house effect. Carbon dioxide, CO2, is the main pollutant contributing towards the green house effect and global warming.
Estimates provided by WWF suggest that for each window produced with PVC, a total of 49.9 kg (110 lb) of CO2 are released (84% released during production of raw material, 16% during production of the window itself).
On the other hand, production of a wooden window of equal dimensions releases a mere 5.7 kg (12.5 lb) of CO2. Importantly, PVC also releases particularly hazardous and toxic substances when burned, such as carcinogenic dioxins, HCl and heavy metals. It is of interest to take into regard that in Great Britain alone, during the year 2000, a total of 240,000 tons of PVC were used for the production of windows. WWF estimates that 83% of this material reaches landfills, 15% is incinerated and only a mere 3% is recycled.
For the reasons described above, and for issues of quality and aesthetic appearance, the British market is steadily steering away from PVC doors and windows, with prominent newspapers as the Sunday Telegraph strongly advocating against the product.
Hazardous pollutants are released into the air during aluminum production as well. Firstly, large quantities of CO2 are released during the production of the large amounts of electrical energy needed for the isolation of the element. Secondly, as underlined in the study of the American Department of Energy, the aluminum production process also releases poisonous carbon monoxide (CO) and particularly deleterious perfluorocarbons (PFCs).
In relation to the green-house effect, PFCs are around 6500 times more efficient in increasing global temperature than standard green-house gasses such as CO2.
A general comparison of environmental and technical parameters related to windows is offered by the WWF in this table.
