Retrofit Product Helps Achieve President Obama’s ‘Better Buildings’ Without Disrupting Tenants

Date: 17 February 2011

Cambridge, Ohio – February 15, 2011 – President Obama unveiled the Better Buildings Initiative earlier this month, which calls for commercial facility owners and managers to reduce their energy use by 20 percent over the next nine years.

Tax incentives, financing opportunities and competitive grants are in development to encourage energy-efficient upgrades with hopes of creating new jobs, saving money, reducing dependence on foreign oil and making the air cleaner.

With the new Better Buildings incentives, along with pressure from regulators and the public to save energy, facility managers are looking at their window systems because they account for up to 35 percent of wasted energy in buildings. While window replacement creates a great opportunity for savings, many officials are apprehensive about the time, expense and inconvenience of doing a complete tear-out and replacement.

JE Berkowitz, a trusted leader in architectural glass fabrication, offers an alternative that helps alleviate these concerns with its patented technology that uses existing single-pane units to create an energy-efficient, triple-pane system without the investment of a full replacement.

“RENOVATE by BERKOWITZ is what the President refers to as a ‘shovel-ready’ product because it is already time-tested and immediately available to help facility owners achieve energy savings,” said Ed Berkowitz, Chairman of JE Berkowitz. “It is the perfect product at the perfect time. RENOVATE is approximately 50 percent less expensive than a complete tear-out of window systems and is more thermally efficient.”

RENOVATE was developed specifically for commercial retrofitting applications and includes a custom version of Super Spacer TriSeal from Edgetech I.G., which provides a seal between existing single-pane windows and the new double-pane system.

“Super Spacer TriSeal is a proven technology used in architectural and captured glazed units worldwide,” said Brian Kress, commercial technical specialist for Edgetech I.G. “TriSeal was uniquely suited for this application because it provides a moisture vapor barrier and desiccant in one step, helping to create an energy-efficient triple-pane system that uses existing non-operable windows.”

According to JE Berkowitz, the RENOVATE system can be a significant contributor to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) points and, because it is retrofitted over existing glass from the interior of the building, there are minimal disruptions to tenants.

“Our certified installers work with building owners to quickly and seamlessly install the RENOVATE system,” Berkowitz said. “And because there is no tear-out, there’s little mess, no patching or painting and no landfill waste.”

Berkowitz continued, “The timing is perfect for RENOVATE because it is cost-effective, it provides superior thermal performance and it will help reduce energy bills. These benefits will help facility owners achieve ‘Better Buildings’ without the inconvenience of tearing out their existing windows. It’s a winning situation all around.”

RENOVATE by BERKOWITZ has been through extensive laboratory testing (ASTM Standards) and field testing. Field testing includes seven full-size site mock-ups and the successful installation of a three story office building completed in Towson, MD. Third-party performance data and more information can be found at www.jeberkowitz.com.

JE Berkowitz is located in New Jersey and Edgetech I.G. (www.edgetechig.com) is located in Ohio. Other American-made technologies were used to engineer the RENOVATE system, including seals from Ohio-based companies Lauren Plastics and Lauren Manufacturing.

About JE Berkowitz

JE Berkowitz, LP (JEB) (est. 1920), is a leading architectural glass fabricator for the building community. The family-owned glass business is located in Pedricktown, NJ with over 200,000 SF of plant space and 180 employees. For more information about RbB, LLC contact Timm Walker, AIA Business Development Manager at 856-491-0096 or fax 856-299-4970.

Edgetech I.G. Inc.

Celebrating more than 20 years of success!

Edgetech I.G. Inc. manufactures Super Spacer® – an insulating glass edge seal product line that provides maximum condensation resistance, durability and energy performance. In business since 1989 and with manufacturing facilities in the United States, United Kingdom and Germany, Edgetech’s proven technology is improving the performance and energy efficiency of insulating glass systems worldwide. Visit www.superspacer.com or www.laureninternational.com to learn more about the company’s products, services and global initiatives.

In the US, contact Edgetech at 800-233-4383, fax 740-439-0121, URL: www.edgetech360.com; in the UK at + 44 (0) 8700 566844, fax +44 (0) 2476 639727, URL: www.superspacer.co.uk; and in Continental Europe at +49 (0) 2452 96491 0, fax +49 (0) 2452 96491 11, URL: www.superspacer.com.