Green Facade Product Series: Systems That Earn Credits
Five product systems carry most of Hanart’s sustainable-envelope workload: BIPV solar facades, ventilated double-skin envelopes, low-E triple glazing, ceramic-fritted glass and recycled-aluminum framing. This page maps each system to the LEED or BREEAM credits it contributes and links to the full product documentation.
Five green systems, one documented standard
| System | What it does | Certification contribution | Product page |
|---|---|---|---|
| BIPV Solar Facade | Thin-film or crystalline PV inside the envelope; 740 MWh/yr documented on 6,200 m2 | LEED EA Renewable Energy (up to 3 pts); BREEAM Ene 01 | BIPV Solar Facades → |
| Double-Skin Facade | Ventilated cavity with external blinds; U-value 1.6 W/m2K documented | LEED EA Optimize + EQ Thermal Comfort; BREEAM Hea 04 | Double-Skin Facades → |
| Low-E Triple Glazing | Center-of-glass U-value down to 1.0 W/m2K; SHGC 0.22–0.55 | LEED EA Optimize (up to 18-pt credit); BREEAM Ene 02 | Curtain Wall Glass → |
| Ceramic-Fritted Glazing | Gradient frit cuts SHGC from 0.62 to 0.38 at 40% coverage | LEED EQ Daylight (up to 3 pts) + SS Heat Island | SSG Curtain Walls → |
| Recycled-Aluminum Framing | Up to 75% recycled content; 0.5–1.5 kg CO2e/kg | LEED MR Sourcing of Raw Materials; BREEAM Mat 03 | Unitized Systems → |
A single envelope, multiple credit pathways
The systems are designed to combine. A double-skin facade carries low-E triple glazing on its inner skin and BIPV modules on the outer — the configuration delivered at Suzhou, where the photovoltaic outer skin generated 740 MWh per year while the low-E inner skin held the envelope’s thermal performance. Fritted spandrel panels control solar gain on unglazed zones and support heat-island credits through high reflectance; recycled-aluminum framing sits behind all of them, cutting embodied carbon without changing the section.
Performance data is generated by the same factory-test program used across the site: unitized panels are sprayed and pressure-cycled in the plant test cabinet, mock-up thermography runs before fabrication begins, and module output for BIPV is monitored by SCADA against a 25-year performance guarantee. When a number appears on a product page, it is a tested number.
For projects targeting BREEAM rather than LEED, the same systems map to Ene 01, Ene 02, Hea 04 and Mat 03 credits. The engineering response is identical — the documentation changes to the client’s certification framework.
What green systems cost, and what they return
BIPV facades carry an upfront premium of 50–100 percent over conventional spandrel panels, but combine energy value, carbon credits and avoided cladding cost: Hanart projects show simple payback of 5–8 years in high-irradiance markets (Dubai, Singapore, Southern China) and 8–12 years in moderate climates, with the Suzhou example at 6.8 years and a 25-year NPV of USD 1.42 million. Ceramic fritting adds USD 15–25 per square metre and is irreversible — the pattern is confirmed before production. Recycled aluminum costs comparable to primary within the same alloy specification. Double-skin envelopes add a skin and a cavity but replace interior mechanical shading, shifting cost from MEP to envelope while improving the energy model.
Green product series questions, answered with system data
It depends on the certification target. For LEED, start with low-E triple glazing on the EA Optimize credit (up to 18 points), then add BIPV for EA Renewable Energy and recycled aluminum for MR Sourcing. The RFI process maps systems to your specific target.
Upfront cost is 50–100 percent higher than conventional spandrels, but payback of 5–8 years is achievable in high-irradiance markets when energy value and carbon credits are included. Suzhou achieved 6.8 years with USD 1.42 million NPV over 25 years.
No — gradient fritting is dense at spandrel zones and clear at vision zones, preserving views and daylight autonomy while cutting solar gain. Qingdao’s 40 percent frit cut SHGC from 0.62 to 0.38 while holding visible transmittance above 0.55.
Yes. Recycled-content aluminum meets the same alloy and structural specifications; the embodied-carbon benefit (0.5–1.5 vs 8–16 kg CO2e/kg) comes from remelting, not from downgrading the material.
Yes — that is the Suzhou configuration: monocrystalline BIPV on the outer skin, low-E triple glazing inside, generating 740 MWh per year while the envelope holds its thermal performance.
Yes. The same systems map to BREEAM Ene 01, Ene 02, Hea 04 and Mat 03; the engineering is identical and the documentation is prepared for the client’s certification framework.
What happens inside the factory before the facade leaves the plant
Hanart’s ISO 14001-certified plant in Shanghai runs an environmental management system covering aluminum cutting, glass edge processing, unit assembly and packing. The cutting floor recovers aluminum swarf for remelting, reducing raw-material demand by 12–15 percent on high-yield profiles. Glass edge deletion waste is downcycled to road-base aggregate through a third-party processor under a waste-transfer agreement.
Water used in glass washing and tempering is recirculated through a closed-loop treatment plant; discharge meets Shanghai municipal Class-3 surface-water standards and is metered monthly. Energy for the plant comes from grid power with an increasing share of wind and solar through corporate green-power purchase agreements, currently at 23 percent of total consumption and targeted to reach 40 percent by 2028. These operational controls do not change the embodied-carbon intensity of primary aluminum, but they reduce the manufacturing-overhead footprint of the finished panel by 8–12 percent relative to an uncertified plant running the same equipment.
Put real numbers behind your sustainability brief.
Send us your climate data and certification targets — we will respond with glazing, framing and BIPV options mapped to the LEED or BREEAM credits they earn, backed by EPD and test documentation.