Saint-Gobain - Le Pacte Mondial

Solar control glass also helps to reduce energy consumptionin air-conditioned buildings. Over the past twenty years,Saint-Gobain has achieved a sixfold increase in the energyefficiency of its flat glass products, thanks to a significantinvestment in Research and Development. A study by the Glassfor Europe association suggests that replacing every windowin the 27-member European Union with advanced, low-Edouble glazing would cut CO 2 emissions by up to 90 milliontons annually – equivalent to one third of the EuropeanUnion’s building CO 2 emissions target. CO 2 emissionsfrom Europe’s flat glass industry, representing 4.6 million tonsof CO 2 annually, would be more than offset by the potentialsavings obtained by systematically replacing thermallyinefficient glazing with the latest-generation high-efficiencydouble glazing. Low-E triple glazing provides 12 times moreinsulation than a single pane of glass and allows moresunlight to pass through than double-glazingwith enhanced thermal insulation.CONSTRUCTION OF TENCOMFORT HOUSES IN DENMARKOn September 24, 2008, as part of the Komfort Huseneproject launched by Isover, the Danish Ministerfor Climate and Energy, Connie Hedegaard, unveiledten newly built Comfort Houses located in Skibet,Denmark. Over 200 construction product manufacturersand building contractors took part in designingand building these highly energy-efficient homes.Insulation issues are directly linked to air quality.The Innovative Materials Sector - High-Performance Materialshas developed a photocatalytic air purification filter thatdestroys organic matter to remove odors, smoke, viruses,bacteria and other nuisances. Based on technology similarto that used for Bioclean self-cleaning glass, the new quartzfilter supplements existing filtration technologyand has proven highly effective in purifying indoor air.Innovative products for reducingour reliance on fossil fuelEnergy savings can also be achieved in indoor lighting,and Saint-Gobain is actively involved in developing lightingsystems that use light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Commonlyused in display applications, they are likely to replacetraditional incandescent bulbs over time, since they consumefive times less electricity, last a hundred times longerand offer a spectrum similar to daylight. The Crystals unitof the Innovative Materials Sector – High-PerformanceMaterials is currently a market leader in high-quality sapphiresubstrates for LEDs, and the Innovative Materials Sector - FlatGlass is working with the Australian startup BluGlassto develop low-cost glass substrates for LEDs.Solid oxide fuel cells use stacked functional-ceramic layersthat convert chemical energy directly into electrical and heatenergy. By combining electricity generation and heat recovery(i.e., combined heat and power, or CHP), such systems canachieve energy output of around 80%, compared to 30%to 40% for traditional fuel-cell technology and present-daygas- and coal-fired power plants. As it emerges fromthe prototype stage, solid oxide fuel cell technology isexpected to expand rapidly in the coming years. Saint-Gobainis actively involved in this process, researching ceramic coredesign from raw materials to assembly. Backed by its Researchand Development teams, the Group is preparing fuel cellsfor use with domestic hot water applications.The cast-iron pipes manufactured by Saint-Gobain PAMare being used to create underground heat exchangers.With this technology, an initial supply of fresh air enters pipesthat are buried one to two meters underground.The air passing through these pipes is transferredto the surrounding soil. As a result, the air entering the homeis heated in winter and cooled in summer, thereby reducingheating and air conditioning needs.Promoting renewable energyThrough several of our product lines and Research andDevelopment projects, we are promoting alternatives to fossilfuels and, in particular, helping to drive rapid growth inrenewable energy. In the summer of 2006, we opened our firstrenewable energy retail outlet, Greenworks, in the UK, wheremore store openings are scheduled to take place soon.In addition, several Group banners are expanding their rangeof energy solutions. For example, Point.P’s specialized networkof Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC)professionals has become a leading French providerof photovoltaic systems, solar water heaters, heat pumps,condensing boilers and other equipment that harnessrenewable energy. The network supports growth inthis product area through targeted service offeringsand a vigorous nationwide promotional campaign.MANAGEMENT REPORT39Saint-Gobain - 2008 Annual Report