NSG Group Expands Energy-Saving Glass Off-Line Coating Capacity in UK

The new installation will manufacture a range of high performance energy-saving glazing products. The expansion is supported by a grant of £5 million from the UK Regional Growth Fund and is due to come on stream in October 2012.

David Pinder, Managing Director Building Products UK & South Europe said “The installation of this advanced technology coater will allow us to widen our range of high performance coated glasses enabling our customers to meet and exceed UK building energy-saving regulations, complementing our well-established and widely used Pilkington K Glass™ online low-emissivity product, which continues to meet UK building regulations requirements.

Our aim is to widen customer choice and the new investment will enable us to expand our range of energy-saving products to meet increasingly tough regulations. Local UK manufacture of some products currently imported from our plants elsewhere in Europe will help reduce transport costs and environmental impact, in line with the NSG Group’s Sustainability agenda.

The investment will help create 50 new jobs and also allow us to extend our successful Apprenticeship scheme, bringing young people into our industry”.

Low-emissivity coatings in windows permit heat and light to pass through into a building, allowing it to be warmed by direct sunshine, but reflect heat back into the building helping to keep it warm. Research suggests that around a quarter of heat energy in homes can be lost through inefficient windows.

It is estimated that installing energy efficient windows in all homes in the UK could reduce national CO₂ emissions by 10 per cent and domestic energy expenditure by 10 per cent; with a potential saving of around £2 billion per year.