What is a net zero home?
A net zero home combines advanced design and superior building systems with energy efficiency to produce a home which is well insulated with a high level of air tightness.
A net zero home can look like any other home. What makes them different is that the building components are more energy efficient and more durable than the average property. The walls are thicker and the doors and windows are made to a higher specification than standard doors and windows, with enhanced features such as thicker door sashes, triple glazing, excellent weather seals and a higher grade of insulation.
A net zero home is comfortable, healthy, sustainable and carbon-free and the total cost of living in a net zero home is lower than that of a comparable standard home.
Rocia Concha, Director of Policy and Advocacy at Which?, said in 2021: “Decarbonising millions of households across the UK is a vital but complex component of the government’s net zero strategy. The level of support consumers need must not be underestimated.” Spitfire Doors has always been ahead of the game with the specification of the S-500 Signature Series doors meeting Passive House standards. Contact Spitfire Doors
Energy efficient front door
An energy efficient front door will have excellent weathering properties to ensure there aren’t any gaps around the door which would allow cold air in and will help to reduce heat loss within the home.
Selecting the correct doors and windows is essential when taking steps to achieve a low-energy building.
What is a good U Value?
U Values measure how effective a material is as an insulator. The lower the U Value the better, meaning that less energy is required to maintain comfortable conditions inside the building.
In 2018, Part L building regulations specified that a replacement front door should have a U-Value no higher than 1.8 W/m²K.
Spitfire Doors S-500 Signature Series Doors have a good U value of just 0.6 W/m²K. Every door, regardless of the style, is combined with excellent weather seals and thick thermally enhanced door slabs. Every front door with glazing features triple-glazed, laminated safety glass for extra security and thermal enhancement.
There are over 400 customisable Spitfire Door designs and fully bespoke options to complement a wide range of properties, with each style being capable of achieving Passive house standards.
Find out more about Passive House standard (German: Passivhaus)
Is Aluminium Sustainable?
Whilst an Aluminium front door will look good and perform well for many, many years, it is reassuring to know that Aluminium is one of the most environmentally friendly materials on the planet. The process of melting aluminium down to its molten form does not change any properties of the metal. At the end of its life, a Spitfire Aluminium front door can be recycled infinitely, creating minimal long-term impact on the environment.
Carbon Footprint reduction
We all have a carbon footprint. At Spitfire Doors we are taking steps to actively reduce ours. As a company, we proactively reduce, reuse and recycle where we can. We take care when delivering our Aluminium front doors and encase our S-500 Signature Series Doors in a timber frame, rather than using wasteful packaging. In our offices and showroom, our lights operate on a sensor, so when the rooms are not in use, the energy usage is kept to a minimum.
In 2021, Spitfire Doors made the decision to invest in a Carbon Offset programme with Ecologi.
Ecologi invest money into projects that remove more greenhouse gasses than a company’s carbon footprint puts in. Every month we support a range of carbon reduction projects that are certified at the very highest levels by Gold Standard and equivalent. Within the first four months of supporting Ecologi in their work, Spitfire Doors reduced 17.68T of carbon emissions and facilitated the planting of 280 trees.
If you would like to find out more about Spitfire Doors wide range of Aluminium front doors, please visit our door designer and take time to create the perfect door design for your home. Our Gallery of images includes a wide variety of styles available.
You are very welcome to visit our Showroom in Macclesfield, Cheshire, where we have over 14 Aluminium Entrance Doors on display. Please get in touch with our Customer Services team by calling 01625 412570 or contact us by email and we will be happy to help you.
