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 EPD registrars, http://www.climatedec.comand http://www.thegreenstandard.com). ). Kathryn Giblin, vice president of global marketing for BSF, spoke with WINDOW FILM magazine about this announcement and why the company chose to take its products in this direction (CLICK HERE to read that article).

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 (according to 2009 Buildings Energy Data Book, published by the U.S. Department of Energy);

• 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, president of BSF. “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®.

CLICK HERE to view the company’s Climate Declaration.