All over the world, engineers and architects are turning green. From a recent World Bank project in the Shanxi province to reduce dependence on coal and to reduce greenhouse gasses, to the Green California state initiative, governments and private concerns are innovating ways to reduce energy usage and to take a smarter approach to controlling heat transference. One method of managing heat gain through windows is through smarter and improved fenestration performance. But how is this improved management achieved? We will first offer an explanation of fenestration, for the uninitiated, explain how improved fenestration performance can improve several important elements in your building project, and introduce some products of WPM to illustrate our points.
Fenestration
From the Latin root for “holes”, fenestration is the design and placement of windows, doors, and other openings, such as skylights, in a building. Practical uses of doors and windows, to allow progress and regress of people and to allow light into the interior of a structure, has a long and interesting place in the history of architecture. There have been several revolutions that have changed our use of buildings. One such change was the introduction of flying buttresses. Without these architectonic structures, buildings of the time would not have had the strength to soar to great heights while also including large windows such as Notre Dame’s’ Rose windows. You can see from this example that both form and function always have proponents in architecture. This continues in our modern times.
Modern Fenestration Concerns
Except for extreme examples, modern architectural fenestration concerns no longer focus on the weight-bearing abilities of building materials. When building an average home or office building concerns nowadays often focus on the heat transference of the glass. According to information from Penn State’s Energy Conservation and Environmental Protection program, windows typically take up 15 to 20 percent of a building’s surface area and represent a real loss in energy. In the winter, cold air is transferred to the interior of the building and must be compensated for with heating, and in the summer, heat enters and must be compensated for with increased air-conditioning. In general, a building’s heat losses and gains account for one-third of its electrical usage.
Fenestration Solutions from WPM
Window Products Management is a full-service window covering contractor who is dedicated to bringing modern fenestration solutions to an age-old problem of heat loss and gain through windows. We have some products that enable everyone, from private homeowners to facility managers of large commercial complexes, to better manage the heat loss and gain from windows. We have roller shades, retractable awnings, overhead shades, draperies and window treatments, horizontal blinds, and vertical blinds. We are also the ones to turn to for motorized and automated solutions for window treatments. An automated system that shades sun-struck southern windows at certain times, or motorized shades so you can lower an entire wing of window coverings at the touch of a button saves you money, time, and frustration. Before you can choose and install a window treatment system, you must first know your needs, and we provide top-tier fenestration consultation as well. We follow the consultation with design and management of a plan, as well as installation and training on the system.
Call us today to get started on your modern fenestration solutions and save money on utility bills, become more comfortable, and lower your carbon footprint with WPM.
Leave A Comment