FIRST ThermalHEART windows and doors now carry the ENERGY STAR Mark, which is applied to the most energy efficient products within a category. The ENERGY STAR Mark is New Zealand’s only independent, government-backed mark of energy efficiency. It is administered by EECA, the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority.

Windows and doors supplied by FIRST manufacturers qualify for the ENERGY STAR Mark when they achieve an R-value of 0.32. This is a demanding measure of thermal resistance. FIRST Residential ThermalHEART products with double glazing qualify for this mark.

The ENERGY STAR Mark is applied to job lots of windows and doors as R-values are best calculated across a total window system where a range of products and formats are used. It thus provides a balanced indication averaged across the whole building.

APL, the FIRST Windows & Doors systems owner, is an EECA partner in the ENERGY STAR Mark programme.

FIRST will also be a partner in the soon to be released WEERS scheme (Window Energy Efficiency Rating System) – a second energy classification guide for consumers, administered by the Window Association of NZ

This system allocates between one and six stars to a job lot of windows and doors – so is more descriptive than the ENERGY STAR Mark programme. The WEERS system uses its own star logo. The more stars, the better the thermal efficiency.

This recently completed home in Palmerston North (pictured above) used FIRST Residential ThermalHEART throughout, a decision taken by the homeowners because of the extensive glazing that was planned and the need to minimise heat loss through the glass and metal. Another factor that swung them the ThermalHEART way was the desire to minimise condensation. With ThermalHEART the nylon thermal break between the outside and inside surfaces greatly reduces the potential for cold transfer and condensation.