Double glazing confounds climate sceptics

Over on our Solar Panel Quoter Blog where todays renewable energy stories are reported and discussed, a recent article suggested that climate sceptics were missing the point regarding renewable energies and energy saving.

With solar energy, whilst the initial installation costs mean a long pay-back period (speeded up when you're able to make use of various Government incentive schemes for renewable energy installation etc), it does offer a pay-back period, compared to traditional energies that will never offer any pay-back and will only increase in cost.

When you think about it, the same could apply to installing double glazing.

Whilst many insulation schemes for cavity wall insulation are touted, not every home is suitable for this type of insulation. What then? Windows and doors may be the only exterior features where energy savings can be made.

Fir example, fitting double glazing with Low-e glass is reckoned to be equal to fitting triple glazing. And modern UPVC frames now feature heat insulation properties like multi chambers, engineered to offer the maximum efficiency in preventing cold outside air from reaching the warmer inside air.

Whether you fit double glazing to do your bit for the environment, make your home more comfortable and cheaper to heat or for purely aesthetic reasons, you are still making a difference to your own CO2 emissions.

Whichever way you look at it, that's got to be a good thing.

You can find out exactly how much fitting double glazing in your home will cost by using WindowQuoter - type in your own approximate window or door measurements and get a quote in seconds, online, without the need for any salesman to call.

It's a completely FREE service for anyone living in the UK.

Recycle old UPVc Double Glazing - it's possible.

Recycling used uPVC windows, doors and other glazing products is not the stuff of science fiction - the technology is there and commercially available, so you should make sure you ask your supplier what they will do with the old units they're replacing.

Most homes in Britain now have recycling bins alongside their normal waste collection, and most people have become used to the idea of recycling their household waste wherever possible. But what about old upvc double glazing? Do you think to ask about recycling that?

Sadly, large amounts of uPVC from window frames still ends up going in to landfill, where it can pollute and damage the environment.

There's no longer a serious technological barrier to recycling the PVC used in windows - technology has progressed to the point where PVC can be recycled not just once, but many times over before it becomes unusable. The process itself is also remarkably efficient and the chemicals used in recycling can be used many times over without losing their effectiveness.

*Over 50,000 tonnes of recovered PVC was recycled in 2008, 8,000 more than in 2007. Whilst this is great progress, and indeed puts Britain ahead of the rest of Europe in terms of the amount of PVC we recycle, it is still estimated to represent less than 10% of the PVC wastage created in Britain.

This is why it's important to ask your window supplier, indeed all of the three window suppliers Window Quoter can help you get in touch with, what they will be doing with the windows they remove from your house; whether they are part of a PVC recycling scheme; and - even more importantly - whether the new frames they are install will be at least partially constructed from recycled PVC.

When you buy recycled products, you're helping to reduce the amount of landfill sites we need, reduce the amount of pollution we cause, and lessen the impact of our species on the planet. Don't forget to check.

*an abridged version of an article first appearing on Home Improvement Quotes Blog earlier this year.

photo credit: crobj