Solar Gard Window Film Cuts Carbon Emmissions Worldwide
Solar Gard® Window Film Cuts Carbon Emissions Worldwide"A better environment inside and out." TM
Press release
May 19, 2010
Solar Gard® Window Film Cuts Carbon Emissions Worldwide
First U.S. company to achieve Climate Declaration for a building improvement product;
Solar Gard calls for an end to "greenwashing" claims that mislead consumers
Bekaert Specialty Films today announced its flagship Solar Gard® and elite Panorama®
architectural solar control window films produce a net reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG)
emissions. They are the first building improvement products made in the U.S. to measure and
report their carbon footprint.1 By reducing the amount of energy used to cool commercial buildings
and homes, Solar Gard and Panorama window films help decrease carbon dioxide levels in the
atmosphere and help achieve zero energy building goals.
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. More efficient than low-e coatings at
rejecting solar heat, Solar Gard window films are both carbon-effective and cost-effective,
reducing a building's carbon footprint more effectively and for less money than new windows. In
fact:
- One square meter of a low-e wood window, the type with the smallest carbon footprint,
has a carbon cost of 253 kilograms. The carbon cost of Solar Gard window film is less
than one kilogram per square meter.2 - Solar Gard window film saves 1001 times more GHG emissions from entering the
atmosphere than is used and/or created during its manufacture.3 - Solar Gard window film installed between 2007 and 2008 saved 3.6 million tons of CO2
from entering the atmosphere; this is equivalent to the carbon output of 16,350 American
families (with four people).
Solar Gard's impact on the reduction of global carbon emissions is enormous because heating
and cooling systems in buildings produce significant levels of GHG emissions.4 Improved fenestration can lower energy consumption and GHG emissions by 10-40 percent in both
commercial buildings and homes5, and an installation of Solar Gard window film transforms
standard glass into high performance windows.
End to Greenwashing
Many companies claim to save energy and reduce GHG emissions without factoring in the
environmental cost of their raw materials, manufacturing process, distribution, disposal and
recycling. 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," said Christophe Fremont, president of Bekaert
Specialty Films, manufacturer of Solar Gard and Panorama window films. "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."
How the Climate Declaration was Performed
BSF invested more than $1 million measuring and certifying the company's carbon footprint,
updating its environmental management systems and performing the lifecycle analysis required
for the Climate Declaration. The company's cross-functional team spent more than a year
collecting and analyzing data, following ISO 14025 standards. Two independent organizations,
Alta Nova, LLC and Five Winds International, reviewed and audited the data before it was
registered with The International EPD Consortium®. Solar Gard's Climate Declaration is available
for download at http://www.solargard.com/Assets/PDFs/BSFClimateDec.pdf.
1 According to EPD registrars, www.climatedec.com and www.thegreenstandard.com
2 2009 Buildings Energy Data Book, published by the U.S. Department of Energy
3 Global average; for regional variances please contact :
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
4 Pew Center on Global Climate Change, http://www.pewclimate.org/technology/overview/buildings
5 Ander, G. D. "Windows and Glazing"