Plastics specialist Ensinger is strengthening its commitment to "green" construction. There is now an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) for the insulated glass spacers Thermix TX Pro and Thermix Low Psi. In addition, the EPD for insulbar insulating profiles for thermal separation in windows, doors and façades made from metal has been updated. The EPDs illustrate – with the aid of key figures – the environmental impact of the thermally insulating construction products from Ensinger across their entire production process.
Within the context of the life-cycle assessment, the Institut für Fenstertechnik [Institute of Window Technology] ift Rosenheim analysed comprehensive data on the lifecycles of insulbar and Thermix "from the cradle to the factory gate", in other words from raw material extraction through to sale and distribution. It also took into account the disposal and/or recycling. The environmental product declaration now contains reliable values whose purpose is to provide evidence of sustainability to processors as well as to building owners, planners and architects.
"With Thermix and insulbar we are helping to increase the energy efficiency of buildings in a sustainable manner", explains Rolf Friedrich Buhl, who is in charge of worldwide sales of Thermix spacers for the warm edge in insulating glazing. "For a long time now, it has been possible to calculate to what extent the optimised thermal insulation pays off as a result of lower energy consumption. With the EPD we are going one step further and supplying sound data in order to prepare comprehensive life cycle assessments for systems which our products are used in."
"In house, too, the EPD provides us with valuable pointers", adds Matthias Rink, Head of Sales for insulbar at Ensinger. "The data calculated by the ift Rosenheim help us to further optimise processes and products in respect of environmental objectives. With insulbar RE from unmixed recycled polyamide, for example, we have been able – among other things through the use of green electricity – to reduce the CO2 footprint by approximately another 50 percent compared with the previous EPD. This in turn has a positive impact on the EPDs of windows and buildings."
Furthermore, EPDs support distributors and processors with fulfilling the increasing environmental requirements of building owners and architects in invitations to tender. According to the "World Green Building Trends 2018" study by Dodge Data & Analytics, out of more than 2000 construction specialists 69% indicated that more than 15% of their projects are designed for sustainability. 83% are anticipating a significant increase by 2021. Customer requirements, environmental regulation and the desire for healthier buildings are driving demand.
The IMARC Group, a market research company, estimates that the global market for "green" construction products will grow by an annual 11.7% to 387.9 billion USD by 2023. In many countries there are already plans for institutional buildings to be constructed in line with sustainability criteria. For commercial projects and residential buildings, too, be they new builds or renovated properties, certifications in accordance with sustainability standards such as DGNB, LEED or BREEAM are gaining ground worldwide. Here, the EPDs for insulbar and Thermix come into play.
Ensinger GmbH is among the world's leading developers and producers of insulating profiles for window, door and facade construction. The profiles marketed under the brand name insulbar® create a thermal separation between the inside and outside shells of metal frames. Insulation systems using insulbar profiles achieve optimum values in terms of energy savings and cutting the cost of heating and cooling. At the same time, insulbar profiles comply with the most stringent quality standards in every respect. They have been in successful operation around the world for over 30 years.
For more information, go to insulbar.com
Thermix spacers improve the thermal separation of insulated glass windows, doors and facades. This helps save energy and consequently heating and cooling costs as well as cutting carbon emissions. As an insulated glazing edge bond system, Thermix spacers provide a "warm edge". In addition, Thermix muntin bars produce the appearance of a genuine lattice window but with an excellent level of insulation. Both products can be simply and efficiently processed. Specially developed corner keys and straight connectors ensure well-fitting and secure connections every time. Thermix is a brand of Ensinger, one of the leading specialists in high-performance plastics.
For more information, go to: thermixspacer.com
Ensinger GmbH
Press and PR Office insulbar® and Thermix®
Phone +49 7032 819 674
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Picture 1: EPD for Thermix: Klaus Esser, Sales Manager for Thermix at Ensinger (left) receives the EPD for the warm edge spacers Thermix TX Pro and Thermix Low Psi at BAU 2019 from Florian Stich, Deputy Head of Sustainability at the ift Rosenheim (right).
Picture 2: EPD for insulbar: Matthias Rink (left), Head of Sales for insulbar at Ensinger GmbH is delighted about the EPD for the insulbar insulating profiles. Right: Vivien Zwick, Project Engineer at the Certification and Monitoring Body for Sustainability, ift Rosenheim.
