Design options for low-conductivity window frames

Abstract

DISCLAIMERThis document was prepared as an account of work sponsored by the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor The Regents of the University of California, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefu]ness of a,ny information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by its trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof, or The Regents of the University of California. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof or The Regents of the University of California and shall not be used for advertising or product endorsement purposes.This report has been reproduced directly from the best available copy. .. AbstractThe window industry's commercialization of low-emissivity coatings and lowconductivity gas-filling over the past few years has helped to drastically reduce heat transfer rates through the glazedareas of windows. However, few changes have taken place in the design and construction of window frames and edges, leaving these elements to account for most of the heat transfer through today's state-of-theart windows. This paper presents design and material requirements for the manufacture of low-conductivity window frames obtained through the use of finite element computer modeling. Such frames will compliment and not degrade today's most energy-efficient insulated glass units.

Improved model for the thermal performance calculation of non-planar window frames for building simulation programs

“…Despite the significant progress made in recent decades in developing highly insulating frames (Byars and Arasteh 1992;Gustavsen 2008), aluminium frames without thermal break still hold a significant proportion of windows worldwide. In the case of the Argentinean market, this technological backwardness can be explained by the lack of energy efficiency standards for buildings and windows as well as a certified institute for creating and maintaining these standards.…”

Carbon Footprint versus Performance of Aluminum, Plastic, and Wood Window Frames from Cradle to Gate

“…Most technological developments, however, have focused on window panes, while overlooking the frames. A major component of a window is the window frame, which can cover 20%-30% of the area of a window and has a negative impact on energy performance [7]. The most common window frames used presently are either materials with high conductivity such as aluminum for office buildings, or materials with low conductivity like wood and polyvinylchloride.…”