Your home’s energy efficiency not only impacts your energy bills, but it also cuts down on your carbon footprint too. It is estimated that 20% of the UK’s carbon emissions come from residential properties, so making sure your home is as energy-efficient as possible helps reduce your impact on the planet.
The heat within your home is most likely to escape out of an exterior door or window, and due to the larger size of patio doors, they can have a huge impact on energy efficiency. So, when choosing a sliding patio door, choosing a thermally efficient option is a high priority. This article explores everything you need to know about high performance sliding doors when looking to have them installed.
In this guide:
Learn more about why it’s important to make sure your home is as energy efficient as possible.
Find out more about how the energy efficiency of your home is measured.
Explore what ensures an efficient patio door, from material choice and quality to glazing and installation.
Learn more about the factors you should consider to ensure that you choose the most energy-efficient sliding doors for your home.
Highly efficient doors will provide long-term return on investment in lower energy bills.
All three door types can achieve outstanding thermal performance.
Read more about Origin’s range of Sliding Doors and the level of thermal efficiency you can expect.
Find answers to common questions asked on energy efficiency and sliding doors.
Why is Energy Efficiency Important?
Poor thermal performance in your home can increase your monthly energy bills and contribute to excess carbon emissions. Your home will be using more energy than is needed to keep it a comfortable temperature, emitting wasted energy into the environment. You’re ultimately throwing money out of the window.
The energy efficiency of your home could play a role in:
- The cost of your energy bills
- The temperature of your home
- Your impact on the environment
Replacing single glazed windows with double glazed can improve energy efficiency by 60%, meanwhile, triple glazing can improve it a further 50%. Since you lose a significant portion of energy via windows and doors, you can cut energy costs by choosing thermally efficient options.
How is Energy Efficiency Measured?
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The energy efficiency of sliding doors is measured using a U-Value. This measurement will give information on how effectively the door or window system resists heat transfer from the inside environment to the outside.
What are U-Values?
A U-Value is a measurement of heat transfer through a system, measured in watts per metre squared kelvin or W/m2K. It combines the thermal resistance values (R) of each material relative to its proportion in the system.
Because the intention is to keep the energy in and not let it escape or be lost, the key thing to remember is the lower the U-Value, the better or more thermally efficient the product is.
How Energy-Efficient are Sliding Doors?
The benefit of sliding doors is that they offer large expanses of glass for expansive views of the outdoors and lots of natural light. However, because a large percentage of a sliding door system is made up of glass, it has the opportunity to lose more energy, which it’s why it’s very important to research to find a thermally efficient sliding door system.
At Origin, our Research and Development team works continuously to engineer and improve our products to make sure our customers can enjoy extraordinary sliding glass door performance. That’s why our products feature different glazing unit sizes (so you can pick the glass that’s right for you), as well advanced polyamide breaks and weathertight seals to minimise heat transfer and maximise performance.
How to Achieve the Most Energy-Efficient Sliding Doors
Not all sliding doors are crafted equally. There are several factors to consider before you can choose the best glass door for your home:
Which material provides the best insulation and durability?
While the majority of your door will be made up of glass, it is also important to consider the sliding glass door frame material. Aluminium is considered to be one of the best materials for sliding patio doors as it provides an excellent level of thermal performance, whilst offering high durability. All Origin Sliding Doors are made using premium quality aluminium which outperforms the likes of uPVC or timber.
Comparing the thermal performance of double vs triple glazing
You can choose to have double glazed or triple glazed sliding doors. From there, there are different glass types available such as solar, reflective, laminated or acoustic. Triple glazing will offer a higher energy performance because of the extra layers of glass trapping inert gases such as argon. Your installer will talk you through the available options.
Which brand manufactures thermally efficient sliding doors?
Superior quality, British manufacturing, innovative design and impeccable attention to detail helps Origin achieve the highest energy efficiency on the market while maintaining effortless operation and aesthetics.
The best manufacturers will use high-quality materials and adhere to rigorous quality standards to ensure that your doors perform as designed and with smooth operation. While it can be a bigger investment to buy a high-end sliding door, you will benefit from long-lasting performance and beauty.
Installation standards
The way doors are installed can also have an impact on their overall energy efficiency. If they are not installed correctly, gaps in fixtures or frames can compromise weathertightness – allowing excess heat to escape from your home.
When you select Origin Patio Sliders, you will work with your local installer, so it’s important to be comfortable with them and their ability.
Calculating the Long-Term Value of Energy-Efficient Sliding Doors.
When transitioning towards an energy efficient home, it can be helpful to understand the long-term return on investment. Opting for triple glazing can increase the door’s energy efficiency by up to 80%, compared to single glazing.
Most homeowners can expect to save hundreds of pounds every year by opting for a high-quality door over a budget option (the savings will depend on several variables). Over time, these energy savings can help offset the initial. Meanwhile, Origin products also offer striking aesthetic appeal and longevity.
Which are the Most Energy-Efficient Patio Doors: Bifold, Sliding or French Doors?
Sliding doors, French patio doors and bifold doors can be equally energy-efficient if you choose a high-quality product featuring thermal breaks, triple glazing and weathertight seals and gaskets. All systems and manufacturers will have their products tested and should advertise what U-Value their doors and windows can achieve.
At Origin, our Bifold, French and Sliding Doors can all achieve U-Values as low as 0.78W/m2K which far exceed the current UK building regulations.
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The Innovative Design of Origin Sliding Doors
At Origin, we manufacture the most energy efficient aluminium Sliding Door on the market, which can transform the look and functionality of your home. So, not only will it add elegance and style, but it will ensure less heat gain or energy loss.
Our Patio Sliding Doors are available in three sightline options – 29mm, 44mm and 77mm. All three doors offer exceptional thermal performance, with our latest design – the OS-29+ – achieving U-Values as low as 0.78W/m2K. Our legacy sliding doors (OS-44 and OS-77) can also provide exceptional thermal efficiency (U-Values of 1.3W/m2K), significantly helping to reduce the amount of heat transfer between the inside and outside of your home.
Key features that make Origin Doors so effective include polyamide thermal breaks, weathertight seals, high quality aluminium frames, and precision engineering. Each door that leaves our facility is meticulously checked and tested to ensure it meets our unrelenting standards.
Request a Sliding Gass Door Brochure or contact your local installer today.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can large glass sliding doors be thermally efficient?
Yes, it’s clear that large-panel sliding doors can be energy efficient because they can match the thermal performance of French and Bifold Doors. Origin Sliding Doors specified with triple glazing are extremely efficient. Optimal thermal performance of sliding doors can be achieved by choosing high quality patio doors, thermally efficient, glazing and ensuring proper installation.
How can you make your sliding glass door more energy-efficient?
To ensure your new sliding doors more energy-efficient, you could:
- Invest in triple glazing or high performance double glazing
- Choose high-performance aluminium frames
- Purchase the doors from a reputable manufacturer and invest in expert installation services
Does energy efficiency on bi-folding or sliding doors matter?
Yes. The energy efficiency of your external patio doors will play a huge part in the overall rating of your home – affecting your energy bills and carbon footprint. Because they offer huge expanses of glass, inefficient sliding doors will cost you in the long run despite their affordability.
Please contact your local installer to find out more about Origin Sliding Doors for your home.
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