15th December 2009

What’s in ‘A’ rating?

Industry ‘confused’ by expanded ratings systems, says CAB.

Following the expansion of rating systems in our sector, the Council for Aluminium in Building (CAB), has expressed concern that architects, specifiers, contractors and industry representatives are becoming confused ‘and do not necessarily understand what it is they are specifying’.

Currently, there are three schemes that contain references to ‘A’ ratings and which form part of most tender specifications. They are the British Fenestration Rating Council (BFRC) window energy rating (WER) scheme, with bands A to E; the BRE Green Guide (GG) to specification, with Bands A+ to E, and the BRE Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) range of products, which use GG ratings as part of a building credits system.
According to CAB, it is possible for aluminium windows to achieve BRFC WER band A-ratings, and, some aluminium window systems for commercial use can achieve a GG A-rating. The Green Guide, launched in the 1990s, is based on life cycle analysis (LCA) criteria and uses a weighting methodology to allow direct comparison of the environmental performances of ranges of building materials and products. According to CAB, LCA methodology does not favour metals, particularly aluminium, with a ‘bias’ towards recycled content rather than recyclability.

For further information visit the CAB web site (www.c-a-b.org.uk) and look under ‘Information’ for the ‘Misunderstanding the Green Guide’ article and other relevant documents.

Information on BFRC WER ratings, the Green Guide and BREEAM can be found respectively at:
http://www.bfrc.org/
http://www.thegreenguide.org.uk/
www.breeam.org/index.jsp

News source: Courtesy of Glass & Glazing Magazine