Windows and Exterior Doors

About Nordic Swan Ecolabelled Windows and Exterior doors Version 4.12 Background to ecolabelling 15 September 2020 Content 1 Summary 3 2 Basic facts about the criteria 6 2.1 What are windows and exterior doors? 6 2.2 Version and validity of the criteria 6 2.3 The Nordic Market 7 2.4 Nordic Swan Ecolabel licences 9 2.5 Other labels 9 3 About the criteria revision 11 3.1 Purpose of the criteria revision 11 3.2 About this criteria revision 11 4 The environmental impact of windows and exterior doors 11 5 Justification of the requirements 13 5.1 Product group definition 13 5.2 What can carry the Nordic Swan Ecolabel? 15 5.3 Product description 16 5.4 Energy requirements 16 5.5 Material requirements 26 5.6 Chemical requirements 51 5.7 Waste management requirements 70 5.8 Functional requirements 71 5.9 Quality and regulatory requirements 77 6 Changes compared to previous version 77 7 Next revision 77 Appendix 1 Overview of changes to criteria compared with previous version Appendix 2 MECO analysis Appendix 3 Voluntary ecolabelling of windows Appendix 4 In-depth materials description Appendix 5 Description of techniques used to protect and treat wood 062 Windows and Exterior doors, version 4.12, 15 September 2020 This document is a translation of an original in Swedish. In case of dispute, the original document should be taken as authoritative. Addresses In 1989, the Nordic Council of Ministers decided to introduce a voluntary official ecolabel, the Nordic Swan Ecolabel. These organisations/companies operate the Nordic ecolabelling system on behalf of their own country’s government. For more information, see the websites: Denmark Finland Iceland Ecolabelling Denmark Ecolabelling Finland Ecolabelling Iceland Danish Standards Foundation Uhro Kekkosen katu 4-6 E Umhverfisstofnun Göteborg Plads 1, DK-2150 Nordhavn FI-00100 HelsinkiI Suðurlandsbraut 24 Fischersgade 56, DK-9670 Løgstør Tel +358 9 61 22 50 00 IS-108 Reykjavik Tel: +45 72 300 450 [email protected] Tel: +354 591 20 00 [email protected] www.ecolabel.fi [email protected] www.ecolabel.dk www.svanurinn.is Norway Sweden Ecolabelling Norway Ecolabelling Sweden Henrik Ibsens gate 20 Box 38114 NO-0255 Oslo SE-100 64 Stockholm This document may only be copied in its Tel: +47 24 14 46 00 Tel: +46 8 55 55 24 00 entirety and without any type of change. [email protected] [email protected] It may be quoted from provided that www.svanemerket.no www.svanen.se Nordic Ecolabelling is stated as the source. Nordic Ecolabelling 062/4.12 15 September 2020 Background document 1 Summary Nordic Ecolabelling established a set of criteria for the ecolabelling of windows in 1997, which was extended to include exterior doors in 2001. The product group includes facade windows, roof windows and exterior doors covered by the product standard EN 14351-1. Exterior doors between indoor and outdoor climates can carry the Nordic Swan Ecolabel. This background document presents the results of the criteria revision performed in autumn 2012–2013 that has resulted in version 4.0 of the criteria. The revision focuses on the following areas: • Tightening energy requirements. • An overview of the way in which the energy rating of windows should be presented based on national systems for energy balance/energy gain calculations. • An overview of requirements applicable to constituent materials based on a MECO1 analysis. • Examination of wood preservation methods as a basis for requirement revision. • An assessment as to whether the product group should be expanded to include windows and doors used in commercial properties. Energy rating Several LCAs shows that the single most important contributing factor to the overall energy impact of the product is the window’s energy consumption when in use. Nearly 5,000 MJ may be lost over the course of the usage phase, which is assumed to be 30 years. That is more than double the energy consumed when manufacturing the same window, see Table 2 (page 16). This is based on PVC windows and the ratio differs for other types of materials. It also varies according to the heat transfer coefficient (U-value). Wooden windows have lower energy consumption at the production phase, meaning that the usage phase is even more significant in comparison. Heat loss in the usage phase can account for 90 to 95% of total energy consumption for purely wooden windows or windows in wood with external aluminium cladding for weatherproofing. The second most important contributing factor is the emission of greenhouse gases, which in turn is affected by the energy consumption. Having the option of using sunlight as a passive contribution in order to lessen the building’s heating needs is important, but cooling requirements must not arise/increase as a result. From an LCA perspective, other environmental impact factors include the production phase and raw material extraction. LCA analyses of exterior doors produce similar results. The main difference is that an exterior door does not normally contribute to lessening the building’s heating requirements in the same way, which is why only the door’s ability to insulate against heat loss is considered relevant. Broad approach to energy consumption On this basis, it is understandable that Nordic Ecolabelling enforces a strict requirement with regard to a window’s heat transfer coefficient (its UW-value) while also requiring that a satisfactory level of solar energy transmittance (g-value) is achieved. A requirement model on three levels has been drawn up, following consultation. The requirement model links requirements concerning the U-value with materials, in order to differentiate energy 1 Nordic Ecolabelling’s tool for analysing the energy, material, chemicals and other environmental aspects. Background document for ecolabelling of windows and exterior doors 3 (87) Nordic Ecolabelling 062/4.12 15 September 2020 Background document performance related to materials and to environmental impact (VOC emissions) from wood treatment. The requirement model drawn up after the consultation period entails three levels of requirements for highest permitted U-value. For windows with wood as the main material in the frame and casement and where water-based wood preservation techniques or other techniques are used with no VOC emissions, it is proposed that the maximum 2 UW-value should be 0.91 W/m K. If, however, vacuum impregnation with solvent and thus VOC emissions is used, the 2 maximum UW-value will be 0.82 W/m K. For windows made in materials other than mainly wood (non-renewable materials), there 2 is a requirement that the UW-value is a maximum of 0.74 W/m K. The background to the differentiated requirements for the heat transfer coefficient is that there are large differences in energy consumption when manufacturing windows in different materials. Manufacturing “entirely” wooden windows uses the least energy, while a window made entirely in aluminium uses considerably more energy and there are other options in between. By establishing differentiated U-value requirements, we create a holistic view of a window’s energy performance, seen over its entire life cycle. We also allow for the possibility of “new” materials such as composite windows. Composite has the benefit of enabling slim profiles, while retaining the same strength. We have also chosen to differentiate the energy requirement for different wood preservation techniques for wooden windows. We have done this to clearly encourage an environmentally aware wood preservation technique, while at the same time: • Trying to take account of the Nordic countries’ varying views on wood preservation techniques and what it takes for wood to be fully protected against rot. • Tightening the limit value for VOC emissions from 11 to max. 9 kg/m3 treated wood, so that only plants with the best emission treatment technology systems will be able to meet the requirement. One important reason for not excluding vacuum impregnation is that wood preservation and surface treatment is one environmental aspect among many that Nordic Swan Ecolabelled windows need to meet. From a life cycle perspective, the most important issue is the window’s energy efficiency. The g-value measured on the windowpane is the same as in version 3 of the criteria, i.e., it must be at least 48%, while the g-value of the entire window must be 34% or more. The ± 2% margin has been removed and the value adjusted downward by a corre- sponding value instead. During the revision, Nordic Ecolabelling also examined the possibility of imposing requirements based on the energy balance concept (Eref) that has been introduced in Denmark. The Eref value indicates the entire system’s energy balance during the heating season. Here, the window is fitted into a context (a reference building). A positive Eref value means that the window contributes positively to the building’s heating requirements. However, imposing requirements for a certain Eref value entails a risk of windows with varying energy performance being awarded the ecolabel. In other words, a Nordic Swan Ecolabelled window in one Nordic country could have a poorer U-value than one in another Nordic country. This is unsustainable within Nordic Ecolabelling and this is Background document for ecolabelling of windows and exterior doors 4 (87) Nordic Ecolabelling 062/4.12 15 September 2020 Background document the most important argument against basing energy requirements on energy balance calculations. A U-value requirement also provides better steerability, since the energy balance depends on the location of the window in the building. Another key reason is that Nordic Ecolabelling’s requirements must function for and cover all climate zones relevant to the Nordic region. A requirement for differential climate testing to ensure door air permeability, even when the difference between indoor and outdoor temperature is significant, has been added to the requirement relating to exterior door air permeability.

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