The importance of Energy Efficient entrance solutions

Energy-saving products for buildings are the trend of the future with benefits ranging from financial savings to seeing reductions in the building’s respective carbon footprint – by selecting products that require less energy in use, buildings can limit their impact on the environment. Increasingly, responsible business practices and environmentally friendly products are required by the building industry, customers, partners, legislators, and end-users.

Here, Tim Checketts, Head of Specification and Development at dormakaba, highlights some products from their entrance systems range, with additional energy saving benefits.

With the ST FLEX Green sliding door, dormakaba underlines their contribution to increasing energy efficiency consequently improving the sustainability of buildings. The ST FLEX GREEN complies with the latest energy saving regulations for England and Wales, meeting Conservation of fuel and power: Approved Document L (2010) and acts as a highly energy efficient product by helping to reduce CO2 emissions by reducing day to day energy and heating costs.

The issue of the energy efficiency of the doors themselves is more widely considered and products such as the dormakaba KTV revolving doors now deliver energy savings of over 60% in operation and over 90% when on standby, compared with a traditional revolving door. Tested to EN 16005 and tested and certified up to 2 million cycles, it allows an efficient and safe flow of people, as well as low energy consumption in use and reductions in temperature exchange, noise and dust.

The dormakaba energy-saving portfolio also includes the FFT FLEX GREEN and is the first folding door that provides for a maximum clear opening width of 2.4m in tight spaces, offers outstanding thermal separation and a quiet, dynamic operation with enhanced wind load resistance. It is particularly suited to emergency exits and escape routes.

The third party verified EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) certified FFT FLEX GREEN, ST FLEX GREEN and KTV revolving door combine accessibility with thermal divisions. For example, due to improved thermal separation of profiles, automatic sliding doors from dormakaba offer very high insulation values which help to reduce energy consumption – an important practice in promoting sustainability.

It is now increasingly obvious that modern buildings whether new or existing, require updates to meet new challenges, and this includes more careful consideration for entrance and exit systems. By working with suppliers such as dormakaba, building owners are guaranteed unbeatable support from one trusted source, from site-visits and drawings, through to remote software updates and a dedicated aftercare service.

When it comes to the planning and building of sustainable buildings, there is no one-size-fits all way of approach, but ensuring your access systems are energy efficient and made to last will most certainly prove to be one of the most important decisions which will ensure cost effectiveness over time, as well as providing the confidence that that the product benefits from an extended product lifetime.

For more information on dormakaba and to view our EPD certificates, please visit www.dormakaba.co.uk/specification