encyclopedia article

Smartwin (stylized as: smartwin) is a brand and product family of Pro Passivhausfenster GmbH, based in Oberaudorf, Germany. The goal is to make highly energy-efficient and visually appealing windows available at reasonable prices through selected and trained partners using artisanal production methods.

In the coined word "Smartwin," "smart" stands for intelligent, artisanal production, "art" represents the focus on aesthetics, and "win" refers both to windows and the benefits for users through high aesthetics and energy cost savings, as well as for the environment by reducing CO2 emissions.

 

History

Smartwin windows are produced by small, artisan window manufacturers who support each other in the areas of development, qualification, purchasing, production, and marketing.

The first Smartwin window was produced in mid-2010 by Lorber Fensterbau in Austria. In the following years, both the product range and the number of manufacturing companies increased. The expansion first took place within the EU:

In December 2010, Menuiserie Andre (France) joined, followed by i2 (Latvia) in early March 2011, Hoblina (Slovakia) in mid-March 2011, Houtman (Netherlands) in May 2011, and HolzWin (Germany) in June 2011.

In the fall of 2016, the founders of Smartwin decided to offer licenses outside the EU as well. This led to the cooperation in 2016 with Advantage Architectural Woodwork (Kansas, USA). Soon after, partners in New Zealand, Japan, and additional European companies followed.

In July 2018, the founders decided to expand the cooperation to include house-building companies. Smartshell (stylized as "smartshell") is also a brand and a product family of building systems from Pro Passivhausfenster GmbH. Here, the word "smart" stands for intelligent, artisanal production, "art" represents the aesthetic aspiration, and "shell" refers both to a comfortable building envelope and to climate-friendly living through the avoidance of CO2 emissions. This is achieved through future-proof thermal insulation, the use of renewable materials, and the optimization of the interfaces of all construction components and trades.

From the very beginning, a strong focus was placed on systems for the sustainable improvement of existing buildings. Energy savings of up to 90% can be achieved in the building system through the integral consideration of all components and trades. Under the product name smartshell reno, all details of the modernization system are prepared in a craftsman-friendly manner for the involved trades. The system allows for a high degree of prefabrication, ranging from prefabricated wall components to windows with jambs, shading systems, and window sills, thus bringing the product full circle back to its original focus: windows. During the planning phase, the level of prefabrication is determined individually.

 

Products

The Smartwin and Smartshell product families are characterized by a high aesthetic standard, combined with high energy efficiency and reasonable costs. All Smartwin products are certified as Passive House components by the Passive House Institute in Darmstadt.

 

Smartwin

Smartwin is the standard window in the Smartwin family. With a frame view width of 86 mm, it allows a lot of light into the room. A special corner joint simplifies production and enables cost-effective manufacturing of individual parts. According to the classification of the Passive House Institute, the window is certified for a cool, temperate climate.

 

Smartwin Solar and Arctic

The frame of the Smartwin Solar is even slimmer at 62 mm. This is made possible by a modified corner joint that directly supports the weight of the glass. A special drip rail enables partial insulation of the window frame in the windowsill area, which leads to minimal heat loss during installation. Smartwin Arctic is a variant of Smartwin Solar with further reduced heat loss, certified by the Passive House Institute for cold climates.

 

Smartwin Sliding

Smartwin Sliding is a lift-slide door with frame view widths of less than 11 cm. The frame U-values for most profiles are below 0.8 W/(m²K). According to the classification of the Passive House Institute, the sliding door is certified for cool temperate climates.

 

Smartwin Entrance

The Smartwin Entrance door has a U-value of 0.51 W/(m²K) and is certified by the Passive House Institute for cold climates.

 

Smartwin Historic

Smartwin Historic is a flexible concept that can either add a new, thermal-protective layer to existing historical windows or replace them with an optically identical reproduction that offers modern thermal insulation.

 

Smartshell Building Systems

The Smartshell building systems, also certified by the Passive House Institute, cover all construction methods, from solid construction to various timber construction techniques, as well as region-specific and climate-adapted solutions for new builds. The primary focus is on building modernization. With the Smartshell Reno system, renovators are supported from the initial project idea through to certification as an EnerPHit renovation. Accurate energy savings analyses and reliable cost estimates typically result in a reduction of annual total costs, combining both investment and saved energy expenses.

 

Examples of Building Projects

https://passivehouse-database.org/index.php?lang=en#k_smartwin

 

Awards

The Passive House Institute certifies building components, providing a transparent comparison through rigorous testing procedures. The components certified by the Institute are often significantly more energy-efficient than typical market options. Periodically, the holders of component certificates are invited to participate in awards.

  1. Labeling for Certified Passive House Components
    https://database.passivehouse.com/de/components/manufacturer/pro-passivhausfenster-gmbh/
  2. COMPONENT AWARD 2014 of the Passive House Institute                                                                                                                                                                                 1st Prize in the Wood-Aluminum category for smartwin compact by Lorber Fensterbau
  3. COMPONENT AWARD 2015 of the Passive House Institute                                                                                                                                                                                 1st Prize in the Wood-Aluminum category for smartwin compact S by Lorber Fensterbau
  4. COMPONENT AWARD 2019 of the Passive House Institute 
    1st Prize in Wood-Aluminum for Warm Temperate Climate: Smartwin Compact by Daimaru Kogyo (Japan), Blumer Lehman (China), and SEDA (New Zealand)                   2nd Prize in Wood-Aluminum for Cold Climate: Smartwin Solar by Advantage Architectural Woodworks (USA) and i2 Factory (Latvia)                                                         3rd Prize in Wood-Aluminum for Cool-Temperate Climate: Smartwin Compact HPL Triple by PARK Byoungyoeol, Architecture Studio Time, Human and Space (Korea).

 

Weblinks

www.passivhausfenster.com

www.smartshell.de

https://database.passivehouse.com/en/components/manufacturer/pro-passivhausfenster-gmbh/

 

References

Freundorfer, "Passive House Buildings: Technique A+, dissemination F"
In: Proceedings of the 27th International Passive House Conference 2024 in Innsbruck. Passive House Institute, Darmstadt 2024.

Freundorfer, "Serielle Sanierung als kontinuierlicher Verbesserungsprozess"
In: Proceedings of the 27th International Passive House Conference 2024 in Innsbruck. Passive House Institute, Darmstadt 2024.

Hasper, Freundorfer, "It's the windows, stupid!"
In: Proceedings of the 26th International Passive House Conference 2023 in Wiesbaden. Passive House Institute, Darmstadt 2023.

Freundorfer, "Die erste Schiebetüre der Energieeffizienzklasse phA+, besser geht’s nicht."
In: Proceedings of the 25th International Passive House Conference 2021 in Wuppertal. Passive House Institute, Darmstadt 2021.

Krick, Lopez, Lowes: "Component Award 2019 – Windows of the Future"
In: Proceedings of the 23rd International Passive House Conference, Gaobeidian, China, 2019.

Freundorfer, "Passivhaus rechnet sich, besonders in der Sanierung – Hülle und Lüftung im Duett"
In: Proceedings of the Passive House Conference 2019 in Heidelberg. Passive House Institute, Darmstadt 2019.

Freundorfer, "Passive House Building envelope in all climatic regions – solutions for the practice"
In: Proceedings of the 23rd International Passive House Conference 2019 in Gaobeidian. Passive House Institute, Darmstadt 2019.

Freundorfer, "20 years of development work on the passive house window, a cool story"
In: Proceedings of the 23rd International Passive House Conference 2019 in Gaobeidian. Passive House Institute, Darmstadt 2019.

Krick, Freundorfer: "Gewerkeübergreifend und mit System – so geht Sanierung"
Part 1 in: Glas, Fenster, Fassade 10/2018, Bad Wörishofen, 2018.
Part 2 in: Glas, Fenster, Fassade 11/2018, Bad Wörishofen, 2018.
Part 3 in: Glas, Fenster, Fassade 12/2018, Bad Wörishofen, 2018.

Freundorfer, "Drei auf einen Streich: Hülle, Fenster und Lüftung als EnerPHit Innovation."
In: Proceedings of the 21st International Passive House Conference 2017 in Vienna. Passive House Institute, Darmstadt 2017.

Krick, Vahalova, "Fenster in einer schrittweise durchgeführten Sanierung"
In: Proceedings of the 20th International Passive House Conference, Darmstadt 2016.
Download PDF

Freundorfer, Krick, "Drei auf einen Streich- Gewerkeübergreifendes Sanierungssystem"
In: Gebäudeenergieberater 10/2016, Stuttgart, 2016.

Freundorfer, "Gewerkeübergreifende Renovierungssysteme - eine EnerPHit-Innovation"
In: Proceedings of the 20th International Passive House Conference 2016 in Darmstadt. Passive House Institute, Darmstadt 2016.

Krick, "Component-Award Passivhaus Fenster: Profitabel, behaglich, innovativ und zukunftsfähig"
Tagungsband zur 19. Internationalen Passivhaustagung, Leipzig 2015. http://www.passiv.de/downloads/08_component_award_2015_19PHT_175_AG04.pdf

Freundorfer, "Fenster der Effizienzklasse phA+, ein weiterer Schritt in Richtung kostengünstiges PH"
In: Proceedings of the 19th International Passive House Conference 2015 in Leipzig. Passive House Institute, Darmstadt 2015.

Krick, "COMPONENT AWARD 2014 – Vollständige Dokumentation"
Passive House Institute, Darmstadt 2014.
www.passiv.de/downloads/08_component_award_2014_doku_lang_final_de.pdf

Krick, "smartwin compact - Economic optimum in the regions of Europe"
Study by the Passive House Institute, commissioned by Pro Passivhausfenster. Darmstadt, 2014. http://www.passiv.de/downloads/05_report_smartwin_in_europe_final.pdf

 

Press Reports

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