AGC Glass Europe partners with aluminum joinery brands Technal and Wicona to publish EPDs for low-carbon glazed windows

WICONA and TECHNAL are two Hydro Group brands that regularly work with AGC to certify glass and joinery solutions in the fields of fire safety and now the environment. Through this partnership, the two companies have had their FDES validated by a third party with a carbon footprint 50% lower than the market standard*.

Developed according to the new NF EN 15804+A2:2019 standard, verified and referenced on the INIES website, these new FDES reveal the best environmental and health performances on the market, essential for the renovation and eco-design of buildings, particularly within the framework of RE2020.

A new step in joining forces for an integrated approach

This collaboration with AGC Glass Europe, specialized in the production of flat glass, makes it possible, for the first time, to offer turnkey FDES, combining Hydro CIRCAL ® 75R and Hydro CIRCAL ® 100R recycled low-carbon aluminum frames with low-carbon glasses from AGC's Low-Carbon Glass collection (Low-Carbon Thermobel Top), essential data for the construction of low-carbon buildings.

These FDES cover the following combinations:

• Single-leaf window and French window in 1 mm Hydro CIRCAL ® 65R + Low-Carbon Thermobel Top aluminium profiles from AGC > 75 m²
• Single-leaf window and French window in 1 mm Hydro CIRCAL ® 65R + Low-Carbon Thermobel Top aluminium profiles from AGC > 100 m²

Concrete steps to reduce the carbon footprint of windows

• Optimizing the carbon footprint of glazing: AGC has been working for decades to reduce its CO2 emissions and aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. All stages of its production processes are being reviewed to drastically reduce their climate impact. As a result, AGC has achieved a result of only 5,5 kg** of CO2 eq./m² measured on 4 mm thick low-carbon float glass.
• Eco-design at the heart of joinery development: TECHNAL and WICONA have worked to minimize the environmental impact of their new SOLEAL NEXT and WICLINE NG ranges by using low-carbon Hydro CIRCAL® 75R and 100R aluminum and integrating eco-responsible components. CIRCAL®100R aluminum has a reduced carbon footprint of 0,4 kg of CO 2 eq./kg of aluminum.

Result: Verified EPDs summarize the life cycle analysis of these complete solutions and show a significant reduction in the carbon footprint per m². For example, the casement window and/or patio door, combining Hydro CIRCAL ® 75R aluminum profiles with Low-Carbon Thermobel Top glass, has a carbon footprint 45% lower than the market average*. In its version with 100% recycled aluminum profiles (Hydro CIRCAL ® 100R), the reduction reaches 50%.

A free tool for editing verified EPDs for AGC insulating glass units

These first EPDs, combining low-carbon glazing and low-carbon aluminum joinery, represent the starting point for the production of sheets measuring the complete carbon footprint of the bay window. To complement them with specific safety, emissivity, and solar control features related to the needs of each project, AGC's EPD generator provides environmental assessments of the final glazing compositions in just a few clicks.

The scope of this externally verified tool covers standard glass, low-carbon glass with low-emissivity and solar control coatings, and laminated glass. In total, the EPDs for 14 reference glass product families are published in the INIES database and serve as a template for AGC's customized EPD generator. The latter is fully integrated into AGC's Glass Configurator and helps architects and design offices optimally configure building glazing.

https://www.agc-yourglass.com/configurator/app/request

* Based on the ACV calculation outside module D validated by INIES

** Cradle-to-Gate Global Warming Potential (GWP) (A1-A3), as defined in NF EN 15804+A2:2019