Sustainability Drives Everything We Do
Why Triple Glazed?
Superior Thermal Insulation
In most houses, 20-25% of heat is lost through windows and doors.
Using superior triple glazing with low U-values, homeowners benefit from lower energy bills and a noticeably more comfortable living experience, with no draughts, cold spots or condensation.
Many of Norrsken's triple-glazed windows have a U-value of less than 0.8 W/(m²K) – 50% better than the best double glazed windows.
Enhanced Noise Reduction
Triple glazing reduces noise by physically blocking sounds. Most customers report noticeably quieter homes with triple glazing installed.
In our laminated glass units, a thin layer of polyvinyl butyral resin (PVB) bonds glass sheets together. Originally used for safety and security, laminated glass also provides excellent acoustic performance by dampening sound waves.
Increased Security
All Norrsken’s triple-glazed windows and doors conform to PAS 24:2016 enhanced security performance requirements.
Key-operated, multi-point espagnolettes and multiple locking points to both windows and doors provide extra security and resistance to forced access.
For enhanced safety and security, we offer laminated glass as an optional upgrade for all Norrsken products used in new build projects. Enhanced security measures in windows and doors are one of our top trends to watch in 2025.
Condensation Reduction
Condensation occurs when warm, moist air comes into contact with a colder surface. Triple glazing creates a bigger barrier between warm air inside and chilly air outside.
This keeps the inside window surface warmer, reducing the chance of condensation. The extra air/gas gap acts like another insulator, slowing heat transfer and keeping the inside glass from getting too cold – another key factor in condensation.
Reduced UV Rays
Triple glazing offers increased protection against UV rays by the presence of three factors:
More barriers:
Each glass pane blocks some UV, and with three panes, there are more opportunities for UV rays to be blocked before reaching the interior of your home.
Selective coatings:
Some triple-glazed windows incorporate special coatings on one or more panes specifically designed to reflect or absorb UV radiation for even greater protection.
Gas fillings:
The inert gas between panes can also absorb some UV radiation.
Considerations
When choosing your windows and doors, you should take into account your whole-building thermal efficiency, budget, and noise concerns to make an informed decision.
High performance double-glazing can provide a useful alternatives to those considering triple glazing who feel it doesn’t suit their project requirements.
When you choose alu-clad timber triple-glazed windows and doors, you benefit from the charm and warmth of wood and the sleek, low maintenance needs of aluminium.
Norrsken double and triple-glazed windows are engineered for exceptional thermal performance, keeping your home comfortable and energy-efficient year-round.
Why Wood?
Climate Change Impact
Construction Sector
Thursday November 11th saw the focus on Construction, Cities and the Built Environment. Buildings - their construction, operation and heating - account for a hefty 39% of global carbon emissions, and the urban environment is only predicted to grow in the coming decades.
48% of emissions from buildings are generated from energy usage in existing homes - predominantly via fossil fuel boilers.
62% of energy usage emissions are produced by heating. (UKGBC). Roughly half the homes in the UK have uninsulated walls.It will be impossible to meet the UK’s 2050 Net Zero target without significant disruption to the way we build and heat our homes.
Ambitious? Yes - but in the last 30 years British governments have grown the economy by 78% while reducing emissions by 44% (Source: Climate Change Committee). That shows green growth is real.
Net Zero Buildings
Net zero, in general, means that we produce less carbon than we remove from the atmosphere. The UK Green Building Council divides a ‘net zero’ building into two distinct definitions:
Construction energy
Carbon linked to the construction materials (“embodied carbon”), equipment and processes involved in development.
Operational energy
The daily emissions generated by lighting, heating, and, broadly, simply using the building stock.
What's the goal of Net Zero?
That carbon emissions associated with (a) construction stages up to practical completion and (b) functional energy use on an annual basis are zero or negative. This is achieved by using offsets, on-site or off-site renewable energy and designing highly energy efficient buildings from the building fabric to the heating systems, glazing and airtightness.
Creating Low Carbon Homes
Low Energy Specification
The Future Homes Standard is expected to alter the current UK building regulations to reduce carbon by 70-80% in new homes by 2030.
Passive House (for new builds), EnerPHit and Energiesprong (for retrofits) offer clear, road-mapped ways to design, build and refurbish homes to low-carbon standards and significantly reduce the operational energy of homes. You can work with consultants from the Passive Institute to ensure the building meets its stringent performance requirements.
Improve Energy Usage
The Government plans to expand the use of Smart metres (SMETERS) that allow you to modify the temperature settings of your home.
Improving insulation in floors, roofs and other easy-to-access areas are available to many homeowners. You can expect greater emphasis on measuring the in-use performance of all homes in the coming years.
Upgrade Heating Systems
Replacing the heating system of existing houses is key to reducing operational energy of the UK’s housing stock.
Gas boilers, which currently heat 85% of UK homes, will be outmoded by 2025 in favour of heat pumps, considered the most energy efficient low carbon heat source.
Retrofit
Retrofitting existing homes to be more energy efficient extends their lifespan and avoids the significant uplift in embodied carbon created in replacing old buildings with new.
Embodied carbon refers to the CO2 created in producing materials. It includes transportation, extraction and production of materials and is responsible for roughly one third of carbon from the built environment. Embodied carbon can be mitigated by wider emphasis on reusing building materials and structures rather than rebuilding from scratch.
Green Leases
Make public commitments to only taking ‘green leases’ or occupying low carbon spaces (considerations might include being fossil fuel-free, provision of 100% additional renewable energy, waste reduction or management, water efficiency etc.).
Both owners and occupiers can take responsibility for the sustainable operation and occupation of a property. UKGBC envisions that by 2025 only green leases will be accepted.
