Five benefits of security with Breezway Altair Louvre Security Bars and Energy Efficiency Considerations including WERS ratings.
5 Benefits of the Altair Security Bar System
1. They’re strong, so will keep intruders out.
At 16mm thick, the solid aluminium bars are strong. Really strong! When we applied 2,000 newtons of pressure to a single bar (a bit more than the equivalent of hanging a large male gorilla from the middle of the bar) it bent, but didn’t break or give way.
2. They’re to the outside of the glass, so keep heat out as well as potential intruders.
Metal conducts heat very efficiently, far more efficiently than glass does. In fact, aluminium is 160 times more thermally conductive than glass is (aluminium has a thermal conductivity of 160 W/m-K, whereas glass has a thermal conductivity of 1 W/m-K). Positioning our security bars to the outside of the glass instead of in-line with the glass means that the heat conducted by the bars does not pass directly from the outside to the inside of the window (or vice versa). This means that Altair Louvre Windows can offer the strength and security of solid metal bars without negatively affecting our window’s energy performance.*
3. They’re optional, so you only pay for them if you want them.
If your project requires security bars, we can integrate them into our Easyscreen Window System or into our Altair Component System. If you don’t want them or need them, then we don’t supply them, you don’t pay for them and they don’t obstruct your view at all.
4. They’re relatively inconspicuous, so minimise the impact on your views.
Breezway Altair Security Bars have a diameter of 16mm and are positioned at 140mm centres. Therefore the bars obscure only 11% of the view through the window.
Some louvre windows have metal sections across the top of every louvre blade, or framing at both the top and bottom of each blade. These metal sections can obscure 21% of the view which is twice as much visible metal as the Breezway Altair Security Bars!
5. They have a minimal impact on cooling, natural ventilation.
As noted in the previous point, Altair Security Bars only obscure 11% of the view through a window. They also only reduce the total opening area of the window by 11%, so therefore have a minimal impact on the natural, cooling ventilation through the window. Woven metal mesh screens reduce the total opening area of a window by around 50%, but do also offer some other energy efficiency benefits. More info: https://www.breezway.com.au/the-energy-efficiency-benefits-of-woven-mesh-screens-on-altair-louvre-windows
*Energy Efficiency – 2 Points to Watch Out For
1. Insist on WERS ratings.
When comparing the energy efficiency of window types, be sure to make use of WERS (Window Energy Rating Scheme) ratings. WERS ratings are the industry standard and can be trusted to be accurate.
Beware of window energy ratings available only on a window manufacturer’s website, or only available on request. In Australia, the energy performance of almost all window systems are publicly available on the WERS (Window Energy Rating Scheme) website. Energy ratings on WERS are generated to the correct Australian Standards and have been audited for accuracy. Energy ratings on WERS can therefore be trusted and the ratings of windows on WERS can be compared on an ‘apples to apples’ basis.
2. Use the WERS ratings of the actual windows that will be used.
There are a LOT of WERS ratings! Each different glass thickness or glass type within the frame requires a separate rating. Each frame type requires a separate rating. And various glazing configurations (eg single windows, vs secondary glazed windows) require separate ratings. Be sure that the WERS rating you’re looking at is for the window that you will actually be using.
For example: If you use the WERS rating for a secondary glazed window and then install a single glazed window, not only will the building be significantly less energy efficient, it is also likely to be non-compliant with the energy efficiency requirements of the National Construction Code!
For design inspiration of how Altair Louvres have been used in a wide variety of projects, visit our Project Profiles: https://www.breezway.com.au/inspiration/projectprofiles/
For details on where you can view or buy Altair Louvre Windows: https://www.breezway.com.au/view-buy/
