In an economic environment that is very slow to warm, shoring up this season means more than heading to water's edge. Building owners and managers are using this painful slowdown as a time to "shore up" their buildings by implementing energy conservation measures. An application of insulating, Low-E window film, specifically designed to conserve energy, will immediately improve your bottom line by reducing costly heat gain and loss through your windows all year long.
Insulating, Low-E window films should be a requirement of any energy conservation program. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), a third party building certification program output by the US Green Building Council (USGBC), has developed a program to transform the way buildings and communities are designed, built and operated - enabling environmentally and socially responsible building practices. For owners, managers and architects looking to increase a building's energy efficiency, many 3M Window Films meet LEED Energy and Atmosphere Prerequisites and qualify for LEED credits. Qualifying categories for credits include Indoor Environmental Quality, Daylight and Views, and Optimize Energy Performance. In addition, the National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) has certified a range of the 3M Window Films. NFRC certification provides affirmation that 3M's films meet rigid energy performance factors for windows.
Featuring wavelength-selective metals which block more of the solar spectrum than conventional metals, many Low-E window films manufactured by 3M can reduce air conditioning costs by blocking up to 73% of the sun's heat. They also reduce heat loss by up to 30%. Patented construction enables their metal coating to reflect more interior room heat back into the room. Personal comfort is improved and reduction in drafts and fluctuations in temperature can generate considerable savings on fuel expense.
As a 3M Authorized Window Film Dealer and member of their Prestige Dealer Network, American Window Film, Inc. can provide a comprehensive energy analysis that includes return-on-investment projections for large commercial customers. Many 3M Window Film installations pay for themselves within three years, conservatively. With energy costs high, return-on-investment arrives more rapidly.
If your building is already equipped with Low-E windows, 3M Window Films can enhance their performance. A Low-E window can block up to 90% of UV radiation. After an installation of 3M Window Film, the same window will block more than 99% of the UV radiation that contributes to a building's heat gain and loss. In addition, by holding broken shards of glass in place, particular 3M Window Films will improve the safety of Low-E windows that do not typically protect against flying glass unless they are tempered. Low-E windows do not ordinarily reduce glare since most have a visible light transmission greater than 70%. 3M Window Films can reduce glare up to 80%.
American Window Film, Inc., an ENERGY STAR partner, carries 3Mâ„¢Window Films that significantly reduce heat loss, heat gain and energy consumption while lowering utilities bills. 3M Company received the "2008 Energy Star Partner of the Year Award for Sustained Excellence." Presented by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy, the award is given to organizations for their outstanding accomplishments in reducing greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency.
A $25 billion diversified technology company and an ISO9002 certified facility, 3M has responded to demand for a high clarity, non-metallic window film. 3M's spectrally selective Prestige Series window films reject up to 97% of the sun's infrared heat (900-1,000 nm) - reducing air-conditioning costs while preserving the cosmetic integrity of a building's windows. An innovative series of window films, the Prestige Series of films reject infrared without using metals. Metals can corrode over time in moist conditions and can interfere with cell phone signals and Wi/Fi transmissions. 3M's Prestige Series window films unconditionally guaranty against corrosion. They offer high optical clarity, low reflectivity and incomparable performance. They reflect and absorb 99.9% of the UV light that fades fine furnishings, and they do this by aligning more than 200 layers of polymers in a total thickness that is less than 1/2 the thickness of one 3M Post-It Note.
We all wish we had a crystal ball to see when our economy will heat up. Using this time to re-group by researching and investing in energy conservation products is a productive and wise use of downtime. When the economy heats up - which it will as history has show time and again -- you'll be "shored up" for potential profits from the energy cost savings you'll gain.
Peter Davey is president of American Window Film, Inc, Foxboro, Mass.