What the U.S. Window Market Can Learn From Current European Trends

Window trends in the European construction market are providing lessons in energy efficiency and environmental performance that could be valuable for American contractors, customers and manufacturers.

At the 2014 international trade show Fensterbau/Frontale, held in Nuremberg, Germany, manufacturers and window industry professionals exhibited products representing the most recent trends in the European market. Factors affecting the European window industry are also starting to influence the market in North America, according to Window & Door.

Energy efficiency, thermal performance and other green construction elements continue to have substantial influence on window trends in Europe. However, European manufacturers, builders and customers are becoming more concerned with issues such as product durability and recyclability, as well as how windows influence sustainability and energy conservation.

Adherence to these factors is helping window makers and users in Europe meet increasingly strict energy and environmental regulations. As these types of regulations become more widespread and restrictive in North America, the lessons learned from European window trends could help American sources more easily comply with requirements and solve manufacturing problems.

A more holistic approach to construction and design, including more attention to windows, will help American sources more easily boost energy efficiency and respond to green building concerns and initiatives. This includes the zero energy home concept in which homes generate as much or more energy than they use from local utilities.

The most recent European trends also include:

• Triple-glazed insulated windows with higher energy efficiency
• Deeper and wider windows that more easily accommodate energy-efficient qualities
• Larger-sized doors and door systems, including life and slide doors, that are frequently used in residential patios and light commercial applications
• Additional color and decoration options
• Improved reusability and recyclability of windows at the manufacturer or post-consumer level

Construction Monitor is the country’s leading source of timely, accurate building permit data and information on housing starts, construction trends and industry developments. Contact us today for more information on window trends in American construction and how European influences can be seen in current building projects.

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