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Product category: Window Systems
News Release from: Edgetech | Subject: Saving energy and CO2
Edited by the Buildingtalk Editorial Team on 13 September 2006

Edgetech on saving energy and CO2

Letter from Edgetech to Mr Blair on the importance of the role of windows in saving energy and CO2 - and the reply from DEFRA.

Letter from Edgetech to the UK Prome Minister via DEFRA Dear Mr Blair

Thank you for your comprehensive reply.

But perhaps there was a mix up in the letters?.

My letter was about windows, and their high importance in saving energy and CO2 while yours was about light bulbs.

This is part of the problem.

The Government seems to have stopped with light bulbs and is ignoring the great improvements that can easily and quickly be made with energy saving windows.

The revised Building Regulations are a step in the right direction but do not go far enough and only affect new buildings - so 99% of the UK's housing stock will not be affected! And most homeowners aren't even aware that Energy Saving Recommended windows exist, let alone how they differ from standard double glazing.

Some in the glazing industry are vigorously promoting these windows, but we need more support from the Government.

Edgetech and other leading companies would be happy to discuss how to take this initiative further with DEFRA.

We could save up to 12.8 million tonnes of CO2 a year if all of the 25.6 million homes in the UK replaced their windows with Energy Saving Recommended ones.

It's an opportunity to make a real difference to climate change - but we must act now.

Yours sincerely,.

Andy Jones, Sales Director and General Manager Edgetech.

and the reply from DEFRA.....

Dear Mr Jones.

ENERGY EFFICIENCY.

Thank you for your email to Tony Blair regarding energy efficiency in private households.

I have been asked to reply.

The Government remains fully committed to raising product standards and encouraging consumers to use the most efficient products available.

A new EU directive, the Eco Design for Energy Using Products (EUP) framework directive, is intended to provide a more streamlined and effective route for setting EU-wide environmental requirements for traded goods.

This will provide the forum for considering options and priorities for establishing energy efficiency standards for energy using products and could in principle consider whether there is a case for setting EU-wide standards for light bulbs.

Defra's Market Transformation Programme (MTP) supports measures such as the mandatory EU energy labelling scheme which, for domestic light bulbs, has been mandatory since 1 January 2001.

Energy labels provide clear and easily recognisable information about the energy consumption and performance of domestic products on a 7-point scale ranging from "A" (most efficient) to "G" (least efficient), thus enabling consumers to make a considered choice when purchasing energy consuming products.

Furthermore, minimum energy performance standards have resulted in the removal of the most inefficient fluorescent lamp ballasts from the market.

(Lamp ballasts are required to control the current passing through fluorescent discharge tubes, which dissipate energy and can affect the light output efficiency of the fluorescent tube itself).

MTP also works with the Lighting Association, the Lighting Industry Federation, the Energy Saving Trust and Energy Efficiency Partnership, to promote energy efficient lighting which is both commercially viable and acceptable to consumers.

The Energy Saving Trust endorses and vigorously promotes the best lighting products under its Energy Efficiency Recommended scheme and Building Regulations require new housing to have a minimum number of energy efficient fittings.

Looking to the future, we can expect further advances in lighting technologies including, for example, solid state LEDs which have the potential to provide high efficiency, low cost and long-life alternatives for a range of ordinary, decorative and reflector bulbs.

When there are acceptable energy efficient alternatives across the whole range of lighting products, it would be easier to achieve a consensus on a European-wide ban on low-efficiency lighting products, if it were still necessary.

Buildings contribute almost half - about 46% of the UK's carbon dioxide emissions.

It is clear that we need to greatly improve energy efficiency if we are to meet the Government's Energy White Paper target of a 60% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 2050.

The Government is committed to driving up energy efficiency standards of buildings, working with local authorities through the development, control and Building Regulation systems and by developing the Code for Sustainable Buildings.

Building Regulations are steadily driving up the energy standards of new and refurbished buildings.

Since 1990, the energy efficiency of new buildings has increased by 70%.

The 2002 Building Regulations are expected to deliver reductions in carbon dioxide emissions in 2010 of 0.7MtC in the domestic sector.

In September 2005, the Government announced further changes to the Building Regulations to make buildings more energy efficient.

From April 2006, these new measures will deliver increased energy efficiency standards for new buildings of up to 27% in non domestic buildings, 22% in houses and 18% in flats.

The new measures taken together with the 2002 revisions will improve new build standards of energy efficiency by 40% and cut fuel bills by up to 40% for new homes built from 2006 compared to pre-April 2002 new build.

I hope that this letter addresses your concerns.

Yours sincerely, Jennifer Offord Customer Contact Unit, DEFRA.

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