Noteworthy

BSF Announces Carbon Footprint of Its Window Films
Bekaert Specialty Films (BSF) announced its Solar Gard® and Panorama® architectural solar control window films produce a net reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The company says the films are the first building improvement products made in the United States to have had their carbon footprint measured and reported.

According to the announcement, Solar Gard window films are carbon negative in all 50 states and across the globe. On average, they are carbon neutral within one year of installation. Said to be “more efficient than low-E coatings at rejecting solar heat,” the window films are both carbon-effective and cost-effective, helping to reduce a building’s carbon footprint more effectively and for less money than new windows. The company notes that:

• One square meter of a low-E wood window has a carbon cost of 253 kilograms; the carbon cost of Solar Gard window film is less than 1 kilogram per square meter;

• Solar Gard window film saves 1001 times more GHG emissions from entering the atmosphere than is used and/or created during its manufacture; and

• Solar Gard window film installed between 2007 and 2008 saved 3.6 million tons of CO2 from entering the atmosphere, equivalent to the carbon output of 16,350 American families (with four people).

In its announcement, the company says a complete lifecycle analysis is a required component of a Climate Declaration, and for Solar Gard and Panorama architectural films it meant that the total carbon impact of the films on the environment could be measured.

“We believe companies shouldn’t claim to be green while hiding how their products are made. They’re simply greenwashing consumers if they do. Consumers deserve to know the real environmental impact of the products they buy,” says Christophe Fremont, BSF president. “If a product claims to save energy then it should be mandatory that they publish the full impact the total life cycle of the product has on the environment, and consumers should demand to see this information.”

BSF says it invested more than $1 million measuring and certifying its carbon footprint, updating its environmental management systems and performing the lifecycle analysis required for the Climate Declaration. Two independent organizations, Alta Nova LLC and Five Winds International, reviewed and audited the data before it was registered with
The International EPD Consortium®.
www.solargard.com

3M Introduces New Crystalline 90 Automotive Window Film
The latest release from 3M’s line of window films is the Crystalline 90 automotive window film. This company says the film lets through up to 90 percent of visible light while blocking up to 97 percent of the sun’s harmful infrared heat.

The Crystalline series of window film is comprised of layered optical films that have a thickness smaller than a Post-it® note, according to the company. The film contains no metal content, provides reduced reflectivity, protection from the sun’s UV rays, and strong glass breakage performance.
www.windowfilmdistribution.com

Window Film Goes Decorative
Decorative films from Deco Window Films in Wellington, Fla., can help a home go from simple protection into designer style. The company’s decorative films provide the protection and eco-friendly coverage of a typical window film, but with an added visual design. The company described the 8-mm thick vinyl film as a UV window film because it absorbs 95 percent of UV rays.

Designs available from Deco Windows Films include etched film, privacy film, stained glass film, colored deco film, frosted film and religious themes. The company says the film is easy to apply, adhesive-free and removable or reusable.
www.decowindowfilms.com

New Additions From ASWF
Erickson International, the Las Vegas based manufacturer of American Standard Window Film (ASWF) has introduced two new dual reflective lines. Called Sky™, the new series is available in VLTs of 10, 20, 30 and 40 percent with a maximum heat rejection of 80 percent. It is also available in most widths, including 72 inches.

Also new is Illusion™ which the company says can transform clear glass into a one–way mirror under certain lighting conditions.

In addition, the ASWF Design Series is White Out™. This film is designed to block the view through existing clear glass by creating a glossy white appearance to the glazing surface.

Protecting Your Paint
The scratches, knicks, and scrapes that damage cars in transport seem to be inevitable. Novacel has developed a product to challenge the damage. NOVAGUARD®9275 was designed to protect car bodies against external aggressions such as acid rain, bird droppings and scratches during assembly, transport and storage. The film, which comes in rolls of 200 meters, has widths ranging from 30 mm to 2.5 meters. The company says that the film will protect automobiles for nine months worldwide and the film will not lift off during transport.

The company also calls the product environmentally friendly. NOVAGUARD®9275 has a polyolefin-based film and a solvent-free adhesive and all the packaging materials and cores that are used in connection with the film can be recycled.
www.novacel.fr

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