APL has signed on as a corporate sponsor to the New Zealand Green Building Council which administers the Green Star and Homestar rating systems. APL’s sponsorship follows a period of sustained product development by the company focusing on enhanced thermal efficiency and ventilation options.

ThermalHEART windows and doors, which have a thermal break to minimise the transfer of hot and cold temperatures, have become a growing part of APL sales volumes. Product development has seen the Metro Series ThermalHEART suite integrated more fully into the APL portfolio through the introduction of the popular flush sill feature for sliding doors. One of New Zealand’s largest aged care residential providers, Ryman Healthcare, has also made ThermalHEART products the standard offering in their new builds.

APL’s made-for-New Zealand Klima Series of uPVC windows and doors is also seeing greater uptake around the country, especially in the South Island where its outstanding thermal efficiency comes into its own. When used with low-E double glazing, Klima Series products are rated to a maximum 6 energy stars under WEERS (Window Energy Efficiency Rating System).

The range is based on the premium quality 76 Series by Kommerling, the northern hemisphere market leader, with design adaptations made by APL to suit New Zealand conditions and installation practices.

Passive ventilation technologies have also been a key focus of APL product development in recent years, with the introduction of the Aerovent and Ventient systems supplementing the long-time Sashvent offering. The latter is a simple and economical trickle ventilator that sits at the bottom of awning and casement windows. It is well suited to mainstream residential applications while Aerovent and Ventient are more sophisticated products which are generally installed at the top of fixed windows.