Claiming energy stars

In a recent article in ‘The Conversation’ some builders are said to use the star rating system in a way that could mislead customers. The same can be said of the window industry. If you are looking for highly energy efficient windows, do not believe claims like ‘best energy efficient windows in Australia’ if this claim cannot be independently proven.

WERS – Window Energy Rating Scheme – is the Australian rating system that gives windows stars for cooling and for heating. It also rates windows for their U-value and air-infiltration. The lower the U-value, the higher the energy efficiency of the window. And the lower the air-infiltration, the less drafts and again the more energy efficient the window.

It is easy to verify someone’s claims by going to the WERS website and go to certified products to search for the company name.

Paarhammer on WERS

Paarhammer has been a member of WERS for many years, and has their windows tested and the results listed on the WERS website. The public can easily see that the claims we make about our products are substantiated. In addition, Paarhammer is audited every year by an independent auditor who comes to the factory, takes a window from somewhere in the manufacturing process, and conducts a check to ensure that products are manufactured precisely to the original approved and tested design.

Every 1 house star increases the energy efficiency of the house by 30%

We all know stars and star ratings from whitegoods - they are also used for houses and components of the build, such as windows. A house must have as its minimum a six-star rating but to be more energy efficient, a star rating above six is advisable. Every additional house star above six increases the energy efficiency of the house by 30%.

Paarhammer products have been used in buildings with up to 10 house energy stars and the window and door products themselves achieve up to 7 ½ WERS stars and up to 85% energy efficiency. The latest Wood-Alu range has been tested but has not yet been added to the ratings on the WERS website. If you would like to see these rating please download the Architectural & Product Information Book from Paarhammer.

If next time you see slogans like ‘best energy efficient windows Australia’s’ know that this is only a marketing slogan unless it can be verified through independent ratings.

The Conversation Spruiking the Stars - some builders are misleading consumers about energy ratings