Following on from the publication of its new Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) for its SF52 aluminium curtain wall system, Senior Architectural Systems is encouraging contractors to challenge manufacturers to provide the proof behind their sustainability claims.
Overseen by Senior’s dedicated UK sustainability lead Luke Osborne, the development of the company’s new EPD document has been done in a deliberately different way and sets a new benchmark for transparency in the fenestration industry. Unlike many EPDs that include insulated glass units, which are typically not supplied by system houses, Senior has chosen to omit glazing from its calculations on the environmental credentials of its SF52 aluminium system. This is because the heavy weight of glass, combined with its relatively low carbon per kg, can make the overall figures for the aluminium system look lower than they really are after conversion. By omitting the glazing from its EPD, Senior ensures that the carbon figure per square metre reflects only the aluminium system itself, giving a more accurate and honest assessment.
The SF52 EPD also introduces non-linear scaling, which is a first for the sector. Instead of relying on a single reference size, Senior has verified three different system sizes and consolidated them into one publication. This allows for more precise calculations across a range of project configurations and removes the guesswork from environmental assessments.
Senior’s approach goes further still by including the environmental impacts of profile extrusion and non-aluminium components such as thermal breaks, gaskets, and fixings. These elements are often overlooked but can significantly affect the overall footprint of a system. By accounting for them, Senior provides a more complete picture of what specifiers are actually choosing.
Senior’s UK sustainability lead Luke Osborne explains: “Our new EPD offers a holistic overview that spans from manufacture to delivery and fabrication. It reflects the real-world journey of the SF52 system through our UK-wide fabricator network, but most importantly, it includes the depth of relevant detail that is needed for a more accurate assessment of a product’s performance.
“We are proud to be setting a new standard for how environmental data should be presented in the fenestration industry and we are set to build on this with the development of further EPDs across our product range, including our patented PURe® aluminium system.”
Download the SF52 EPD via Senior’s NBS Source profile or request a copy from UK sustainability lead Luke Osborne at lukeo@sasmail.co.uk.
For more information, visit www.seniorarchitecturalsystems.co.uk