Further to our article on Pilkington’s new energiKare glass on 10/12/07:

There follows a ten-step guide, to help you make some simple changes to your home and implement more energy efficient practices, to reduce your CO2 output. (Courtesy of the Energy Savings Trust and Pilkington Glass)

1. When replacing windows, look for those carrying the Energy Saving Trust’s Energy Saving Recommended logo along with the Pilkington energiKare™ branding ; assuring you of high levels of energy efficiency, with a quality name you know and trust.

2. Install cavity wall insulation. It’s clean, cheap and easy to do and could reduce CO2 emissions by 750kg and slash 15% off heating bills.

3. Install 270mm thick loft insulation. A home with no current insulation could save up to £110 a year on heating bills and 1 tonne of CO2 per year.

4. Turning the thermostat down by 1°C, could cut heating bills by up to 10 percent and save around £40 per year.

5. Use energy saving light bulbs; just one can save £100 over the lifetime of the bulb - and they last around 10 times longer than ordinary light bulbs.

6. Upgrade to a new energy efficient condensing boiler, which could convert up to 90% of its fuel into heat.

7. Washing at 300C rather than 400C can save approximately 40% on energy consumption.

8. Don’t leave appliances on standby and remember not to leave appliances on charge unnecessarily.

9. Always wait for a full load and use the economy programme on appliances, such as washing machines and dishwashers.

10. In the winter close curtains at dusk to stop heat escaping through the windows.

Pilkington energiKareTM is suitable for use in any external windows of a house and is widely available from local and national window companies.

Web: http://www.pilkington.co.uk/energikare

Tel: (01744) 692 000

Following the success of Pilkington Activ™ and Pilkington Activ™ Blue, the maker of the world’s first self-cleaning glass has extended its range to include another product, specifically designed to help keep conservatories clean and cool all year round.

Pilkington Activ™ Neutral is a revolutionary new double-coated glass that combines dual-action, self-cleaning properties with solar control performance and is perfect for use in glass extensions and conservatory roofs and windows.

As the name suggests, Pilkington Activ™ Neutral is neutral in colour and particularly suitable for conservatories, glass extensions, skylights and large French doors, to allow natural uninterrupted views of surrounding gardens.

The new Neutral glass uses advanced solar control technology, which helps prevent conservatories becoming unbearably hot in the summer; the interior surface is covered in a thin layer of solar control coating, which reduces the amount of heat entering a room by reflecting the heat back outside.(Prevents around 60 per cent of solar heat from entering a conservatory).

The exterior surface of Pilkington Activ™ Neutral is covered in a microscopically thin dual-action coating, which reacts with UV rays to breakdown and loosen organic dirt (e.g. finger prints, tree sap, bird droppings and pollen) from the surface of the glass; this effectively encourages rainwater to sheet down the surface of the glass without forming droplets, washing away the broken down dirt and any loose particles.

The new glass is available now throughout the UK, at a price premium of around 15-20 per cent over the fully-installed cost of standard PVC-U windows.

Web: http://www.pilkington.com/selfcleaningglass

Tel: (01744) 692 000

Pilkington, developers of the world’s first self-cleaning glass are launching a new glass called energiKare, which will help home-owners reduce fuel bills and their carbon footprint.

energiKare has been specifically designed to cut energy loss from the home and is twice as efficient as standard double-glazing, meaning homeowners save between £80-£100 off annual heating bills.

The new glass reduces the net heat loss from windows, by allowing more heat from the sun in through the window (known as solar gain) and in turn reducing the amount of heat loss from inside the home.

To do this, it uses Pilkington K glass (a low emissivity glass which stops heat escaping through homes) and Pilkington Optiwhite (a special ‘extra clear’ glass that increases the amount of heat from the sun passing through the window).

Windows made with Pilkington energiKare will receive a Window Energy Rating of A, B or C and will also be ‘Energy Saving Recommended’.
Recently introduced Home Information Packs (HIPs) require everyone selling a three or four bedroom house to produce an Energy Performance Certificate, rating the house energy efficiency between A and G.

Therefore, installing energy efficient products like Pilkington energiKare, will contribute to improved energy performance; a real positive factor for anyone selling a house.

Pilkington provides an official installation certificate as a permanent record of the installation.

Web: http://www.pilkington.co.uk/energikare

Tel: (01744) 692 000

The Lotus is an elegant and sturdy range of neutral cane furniture exclusive to John Lewis; it is handmade in England and ideal for light and airy rooms such as conservatories
 
The cane frames are in a nutmeg stain and the foam-filled upholstery provides comfortable support; the sand colour 100% polyester fabric is treated with a stain repellent, however the cushion covers are also removable for dry cleaning.
 
The Lotus Cane collection includes:

Cane Sofa £1300.

Small Cane Sofa £795.

Cane Chair £695.

Cane Coffee Table £395 - Sturdy and elegant tapered table with a nutmeg-stained cane frame and glass top and lower shelf.

Cane Lamp or Side Table £295 - with a nutmeg-stained cane frame and glass top and lower shelf.

Web: http://www.johnlewis.com
Tel: (08456) 049 049

Pilkington-UK, working with leading interiors stylist Alison Davidson, has devised some invaluable tips for you to create a seamless link between house and garden and maximise the use of your conservatory throughout the year.

By making clever use of garden features and by using furnishings to mirror the colours in your garden, you can easily take the inside out for the summer.

Installing Pilkington Activ™ glass ensures that you’ll get a clear view through your windows even after the heaviest downpour and by adding Pilkington Activ™ Blue, you can also prevent heat build up in your conservatory. (See our previous article about these products.)

The Top Tips:

1.  As featured in our picture, choose folding doors that open up to bring the outside in; the garden then becomes an extension of the house and effectively gives you another room.

2.  Foliage plants such as Aeoniums, Plantain Lillies (Hosta Sieboldiana) and Australian tree fern (Dicksonia Antartctica) will give picturesque  structure to a garden in the summer.

3. Add lights to illuminate particular plants – it really adds drama and draws you out into the garden.

4. Choose furniture that will look good in winter and summer, something neutral so that you can change the accessories with the seasons.

5. Add lime green in the accessories and soft furnishings to add zing to your colour scheme and to mirror the green outside.

6. Choose plants that flower at different times of the year so that you have colour all year round; a Virginia Creeper is ideal as it has green   leaves in summer and red leaves in autumn.

Web:  http://www.pilkington.com/selfcleaningglass
Tel:   (01744) 692 000

Recent studies have shown that installing a self-cleaning glass, such as Pilkington ActivTM, in windows and conservatories is ten times more environmentally friendly than using regular glass.

Independent research compiled by BRE (Building Research Establishment) demonstrates that the self-cleaning properties of Pilkington ActivTM, offer a number of environmental benefits by reducing quantity of resources, including water, energy and cleaning agents, required for cleaning through the year and throughout the life of the windows.

The study looked at two vital issues:
1. Water Savings By installing Pilkington ActivTM self-cleaning glass, the average detached property can expect to save approximately 260 litres of water per year, because of its reduced need for regular window cleaning; once a year to remove dirt associated with Pilkington ActivTM , compared to traditional window cleaning frequency of once a month.

2. The Environmental Impact study looked at four key factors for an average semi-detached house - water usage, energy required for heating water, detergents and transport of window cleaners and expressed as Ecopoints, Pilkington ActivTM  (0.005 Ecopoints) was proven to have one tenth of the overall environmental impact compared to traditional windows (0.06 Ecopoints).

For further information on Pilkington ActivTM self-cleaning glass, see our previous article: The Amazing Pilkington Activ™ Self-Cleaning Glass.

Web: http://www.pilkington.com/selfcleaningglass

Tel:  (01744) 692 000

Jayne and Graham Wren moved to their 19th century crofter’s cottage in Yorkshire eight years ago, as it seemed to them an ideal environment to bring up a family. It was originally a semi-detached building, which had been previously converted into a single cottage.

Although the cottage was roomy enough for the couple to begin with, they went on to have three children and in 2003 decided more space was needed and embarked on an extension for the cottage.

This resulted in the loss of a playroom, so to address this and bring more light into the cottage, a conservatory was agreed as the ideal solution. The Wrens’ conservatory was designed using powder-coated aluminium on the outside and ash hardwood on the inside, giving it all the benefits of aluminium and the beauty of wood.
 
The Roof: It was important for the Wrens to select a glass that needed minimal maintenance, so they chose to install Pilkington Activ™ Blue combined with Pilkington K Glass™ in the roof.

Activ™ Blue designed specifically for conservatories, is a blue-tinted glass that combines dual-action self-cleaning properties with solar and thermal control technology; when combined with Pilkington K Glass™ it also has an aesthetic benefit, by reducing reflection and glare from the sun, providing ultra clear exterior views and improving the outlook on even the greyest of days.

The Windows: The vertical windows were glazed with Pilkington Optifloat™ which, when combined with Pilkington K Glass™ improves energy efficiency, as the heat from the radiators and stove is reflected back into the conservatory, resulting in reduced fuel bills!

The Result: An entirely new light and spacious living area for the whole family to enjoy all year round. The Wrens were careful to ensure the new conservatory was in keeping with the rustic charm of the property, by opting for a cream colour scheme and tumbled limestone flooring; Jayne installed a wood-burning stove to complete the look.

Cost of project: approx. £40,000

Web: http://www.pilkington.com/selfcleaningglass
Tel:  (01744) 692 000

Silent Gliss the leading global supplier of curtain tracks and blinds, recognise that a huge window with a wide expanse of glass needs special treatment. 

So in order to make the most of both the view and the window, they now make roller blinds in almost any size.
 
Since it’s neither practical nor possible to operate such a large roller blind by hand, Silent Gliss have provided the perfect solution with their electrically operated roller blind system 4860.

The blinds are made to measure and supplied complete with:

• An anodised aluminium head barrel with integral 230v 50 Hz double insulated motor, situated on the left side, which incorporates a progressive limit switch unit plus a bracket set for wall or ceiling fixing.
• The aluminium bottom weight bar comes in white as standard, or optional in silver anodised aluminium and black finish.
• Provided with a 0615 switch, a 5741 plug and a 5742 socket.
• White bracket covers are available for outside recess fixing.
• The 4860 roller blind is suitable for use in multiple systems, side by side.

There is an attractive range of fabrics to choose from in three price brackets; e.g. a blind 2.30m wide by 2.50m drop in Colorama would retail at £1092.50.
 
Web: http://www.silentgliss.co.uk
Tel: (01843) 863571

All too often conservatories lie empty in winter, as people believe they can only be used during the summer months.

Pilkington glass has teamed up with leading interiors stylist Alison Davidson, to help you maximise its use throughout the year:

With some careful planning and styling know-how, you can ensure your conservatory is not only warm enough to use all year round, but trendy too.

Using premium products specifically designed for conservatories, such as Pilkington Activ™ Blue Glass* for solar control, combined with Pilkington K Glass™ *, which reflects heat from fires and radiators back into the home, your conservatory will be kept warm throughout winter and reduce fuel bills.

In summer, Activ™ Blue glass allows less heat into the conservatory compared to standard glass, thus reducing heat transference by approximately 43 per cent!
 
That dark brick wall and roaring fire form a great focal point for winter, but can look quite heavy in the bright summer months. To change the feel, hang a large picture of something summery over it, or a mirror to reflect the light.
 
Change the furniture; In our picture dark brown leather was swapped for cream cotton covered sofas; alternatively have a spare set of loose covers made to turn your winter look into summer, or cover them with light coloured throws.
 
Adding different coloured accessories and cushions can instantly change the look.
 
A large dark wool rug looks cosy in winter but swapping it for a white cotton version for summer will give the room an instant summer feel.
 
Add lots of fresh flowers in summer in bright, vibrant colours to bring the outside in.

Web: http://www.pilkington.com/selfcleaningglass
Tel:   (01744) 692000

Pilkington the leading glass manufacturer has recently launched Pilkington Activ™ Blue glass, which is specifically designed for conservatories.

This innovative blue glass, combines the latest dual-action self-cleaning properties with solar control technology, to prevent conservatories getting unbearably hot in the summer, or too cold in winter – a common complaint!

The attractive faint blue tinge of Pilkington Activ™ Blue allows considerably less heat into the room, by reducing heat transference by approximately 43 per cent; The blue tint absorbs the heat and re-radiates it back outside.

Glass in standard windows absorbs heat from warm rooms and radiates it away from the outside surface. To retain heat and save energy at the same time, consider combining Pilkington Activ™ or Pilkington Activ Blue™ with Pilkington K Glass™ on the inner pane, which stops the heat escaping and reflects the heat back into the home.

This new glass will help reduce fuel bills, and make double-glazing as effective as triple glazing!

Additional benefits:

Removes the need for conservatory blinds at a cost of approximately £1000.

The attractive blue colour has an aesthetic benefit by reducing reflection, thus providing clear exterior views.

Pilkington Activ™ Blue glass is available now, through all good suppliers in the UK.

Web:   www.pilkington.com/applications
Tel:  (01744) 692000