Improve renovation rate - GKFP e.V. and EPPA ivzw present themselves at FENSTERBAU FRONTALE

From 19 to 22 March 2024, RAL Gütegemeinschaft Kunststoff-Fensterprofilsysteme e.V. was represented at FENSTERBAU FRONTALE in Nuremberg together with EPPA ivzw, the European trade association for manufacturers of PVC-U window systems.

"The trade fair was a complete success for us, as we were able to effectively position ourselves as a point of contact for PVC-U windows. We were also pleased to make new contacts, hold in-depth discussions, share news from the industry in depth and, in particular, meet our German and international members and partners in person." summarises Dirk Schmidt, GKFP e.V.

In addition to the joint stand, both associations organised an exciting programme of lectures in the Forum at FENSTERBAU FRONTALE on 21 March around this year's motto "renovation - use what we have and make it better". The managing directors and speakers of the associations as well as their external speakers presented the following lectures on topics such as "How can we succeed in improving the renovation rate?":

• Perrine Ethuin, Deputy Chair of the Renovate Europe campaign from Brussels, reported on the Renovate Europe campaign to improve the renovation rate of existing buildings in Europe. She made it clear that the renovation rate urgently needs to be increased and that the benefits of energy renovation are obvious: reduced dependence on imports, improved industrial productivity and increased competitiveness, reduced CO₂ emissions, increased property values, lower energy bills, combating energy poverty, creating local jobs and improving health. She concluded her presentation with practical examples, such as a project involving a French school that was refurbished without interrupting ongoing operations, reducing energy consumption from 121.8 kWh/sqm to 51.3 kWh/sqm.
   
• Cosima Wörle from the Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics (IBP) summarised a study commissioned by Eurowindow, European Aluminium and EPPA. The aim of the study was to show what role window replacement plays in the overall picture of energy-efficient refurbishment. Another important result of the study was that the reduction of CO₂ emissions is not only achieved through CO₂ -neutral heating systems, but that investments must also be made in energy-efficient measures on the building envelope.

• Gerald Feigenbutz also reported on his recycling projects for old windows, particularly in Poland and France, together with Marek Karwowski and Karol Pieta from EPPA ivzw. The Polish colleagues in particular had their say and spoke about the Polish decarbonisation measures. The recycling activities in France were also presented. As well as the focus of EPPA which is working on the development of an EPR scheme.
   
• Dirk R. Schmidt, the new managing director of the Gütegemeinschaft Kunststoff-Fensterprofilsysteme e.V. (GKFP), presented the quality association's plans. These are essentially the alignment of RAL-GZ 716 with sustainability criteria, the promotion of digitalisation in communication and industry projects and the development of design-for-repair. He emphasised that the success of PVC-U windows will continue to be significantly supported by the quality assurance.
   
• In his presentation "Can I ruin plastic windows thru celaning? - How to do it right", Bernhard Elias, Quality Assurance Officer at GKFP e.V., presented project findings on the compatibility of PVC windows with cleaning agents and differentiated between three cases: Construction site cleaning, maintenance cleaning and cases of damage. He showed exactly the right cleaning approaches for these cases, whereby he recommends hiring an expert for construction site cleaning and cases of damage. A lot can be gained if you clean your windows regularly - and water and detergent are often enough.
   
• Thomas Hülsmann, Managing Director of VinylPlus Deutschland e.V. and supporter of the PROWINDO - Alliance for PVC Windows initiative, gave an overview of the partners and activities of the "PROWINDO - Initiative for energy efficiency, recyclability and climate protection for PVC windows in Germany": EPPA, GKFP, pro-K, Rewindo, SKZ and VinylPlus©.
   

"We would like to thank all visitors and partners who visited our stand and followed and enriched our programme at the FORUM at FENSTERBAU FRONTALE," says Adaja Steinke, GKFP e.V.

The next FENSTERBAU FRONTALE will take place from 24 to 27 March 2026 at the Exhibition Centre Nuremberg.