SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--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 homes,⁵ 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.

About Bekaert Specialty Films

Bekaert Specialty Films, LLC (BSF) manufactures and distributes window films that provide solar control, energy savings and CO₂ emission reduction, safety, security and glare reduction solutions for architectural and automotive applications. They are sold in 60 countries worldwide under the Solar Gard^®, Panorama^® and Quantum^® brands. BSF also manufactures films for the photovoltaic, electronics, medical, graphic arts and imaging industries. Committed to environmentally responsible manufacturing, BSF works with the Clinton Climate Initiative to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, has certified its company carbon footprint to earn the title of Climate Action Leader, and its manufacturing facility is ISO 14001:2004 and ISO 9001:2008 certified. Headquartered in San Diego, BSF is a subsidiary of Bekaert (Euronext Brussels: BEKB), a global company based in Belgium whose annual combined sales are €3.3 billion, more than $4 billion. More information is available at: http://www.solargard.com/Energy/Home.

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: Jami.Wong@bekaert.com

⁴ Pew Center on Global Climate Change, http://www.pewclimate.org/technology/overview/buildings

⁵ Ander, G. D., Windows and Glazing