The Australian Glass and Window Association (AGWA) have shared a recent webinar which provides an extensive summary on the changes relevant to windows in the updated National Construction Code (NCC) 2022, and how these regulation changes may affect the windows industry. This video may prove valuable to uPVC window fabricators and suppliers in helping predict the impacts of the Code's changes moving forward, and can be accessed on the AGWA YouTube channel by clicking here.

In late 2021 the New Zealand Building Code announced its biggest energy efficiency changes in over a decade, with the latest amendments requiring significant improvements to the insulation of the building envelope, including windows, and introducing six new climate zones to reflect specific weather in different areas of the country.

The changes aim to make new homes and buildings warmer, drier and healthier with less impact on the planet, and the continued improvements in window quality (among other things) are expected to reduce the energy required for people to heat their homes by up to 40%.

The Vinyl Council of Australia is pressing the Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) to exempt uPVC window frames and sashes from non-combustibility requirements in the National Construction Code (NCC) Volume One (Clause C2D10).
 
In its Proposal for Change, the Council is seeking to modify the Deemed-To-Satisfy (DTS) requirements with a concession for window sashes and frames from the non-combustibility requirements for external walls of buildings over three storeys.

In Australia, we love our windows for bringing natural light into our homes – the bigger and more of them, the better. But when it comes to insulation – keeping heat either in or out, many of these windows are not as energy efficient as they could be. Here we explain how higher-performance uPVC windows can help to deliver that all-important cost-effective solution.

Improving the energy efficiency of new construction and existing residential buildings in Australia has been gathering momentum in recent years. Cutting down the carbon footprint of our built environment and reducing carbon emissions is seen as a vital contribution towards fighting climate change.

Vinyl Council member, Plustec Pty Ltd, based in NSW, has become the first uPVC profile supplier to achieve accreditation under the country’s Industry Code of Practice (ICP) for vinyl profiles used in windows and doors in Australia. The company is also one of only two companies that extrude uPVC window profiles locally.

Developed by the Vinyl Council of Australia, the uPVC Window Alliance’s initiative is designed to provide greater confidence to specifiers, builders and consumers in the durability of uPVC profiles under Australian climatic conditions and to reduce concern that uPVC profiles may discolour under high UV conditions.

You have made the sensible decision to specify uPVC windows for your project and have identified some local manufacturers or suppliers. How do you choose between them? Is it just about cost?
There are a number of important things to consider regarding the quality of the profile, the manufacturing and the installation as well as deposits, lead times and warranties.

Here are some of the things we think you should ask suppliers to help you make a well-informed decision about purchasing windows. 10 questions

uPVC profiles are offered in Australia in a vast range of colour schemes including plain coloured profiles, or laminated matt, gloss or metallic colours and different woodgrains to suit all types of architectural styles.
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Higher-performing uPVC windows that balance optimisation of heating and cooling loads with consumers’ desire for greater natural light should be actively encouraged as the energy-efficient and cost-effective solution for Australian homes.
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