Architects

Very often leaky old windows are ignored because the cost of replacements is high and the ROI is not in this lifetime. Now we offer a new alternative, Boomerang Energy Panels (BEPs), a window supplement that air seals existing windows, gives an Energy Star level of efficiency and has an average five-year payback. The panels are custom made and double glazed using a thin polyolefin film for glazing. They are stronger, lighter and a better insulator than glass or Plexiglas. Our panels have little or no impact on a buildings structure and we do not disrupt the inhabitants with our work. The panels are an especially useful application in historic and municipal buildings where the cost of replacing windows is too expensive or not an option when aesthetic value is a concern.

NYSERDA approves our panels for the Energy Smart Loan Program and the Smart Equipment Choices Program. Approval of our solution is growing so rapidly that Berkshire Gas, NSTAR, and National Grid are working with us individually to provide rebates for the installation our product.


What is it, exactly?
Boomerang Energy Panels are a patented, window insulation system.
The sturdy aluminum frame mounts on the indoor side of your existing windows or sliding doors. Weatherstripping seals the window to eliminate drafts and create a thermal barrier.

The Boomerang Energy Panel frame has two separate surfaces (front and back) of clear glazing material which trap a 7/16″ pocket of air between them. A second air pocket is created between the Boomerang Energy Panel and your existing window.  This technology triples the insulation value of your windows and can save you as much as 55% on your annual heating bills.

ENGINEERING TESTS

INSULATION TRIPPLED

Ross DePaolo, WESTLAB, Madison, WI, 2001

Results

Boomerang Energy Panels triple the insulation value of a conventional window, improving the U-factor from .91 to .31 (see details at left about “What is U-factor?”).

Tested:

One large, 48″ x 48″ single-glazed window versus the same window with the addition of Advanced Energy Panels.

Impact on Consumer:

On a 0°F day outside, with a 70°F house temperature, the inside surface of a single-glazed window will have a temperature of only 17.3°F; but with Advanced Energy Panels installed, the inside surface increases to 56.1°F

 AIR INFILTRATION STOPPED

John Pattison, INVENTOR, Troy, NY, 1996

In addition to the insulation value demonstrated above, Boomerang Energy Panels have an inherently non-infiltrating design. This is because it has:

  • No moving parts
  • A perimeter air seal
  • Two layers of impermeable film.

There is simply no way for cold air to get in. Boomerang Energy Panels cover up all the leaks, gaps, moving parts (and their worn seals) which are otherwise impossible to plug on conventional windows.
ENERGY SAVINGS OF 55%

Paul Martin, P.E., SIGMA PSI CONSULTING, Gansevoort, NY, 1999

Results

Gas heat consumption dropped from $1,194 to $538, for a savings of 55%. (The same size house with electric heat dropped from $4,164 to $1,879, for a similar savings of 55%.)

Tested:

Typical 2500 square foot house for a location in the Albany, NY area in 1999. Energy program by Traner Trace 600, using data from lab tests on Boomerang Energy Panels, and industry data on conventional single-glazed, double hung windows.

Impact on Consumer:

Your fuel costs may be different from those shown for that year and location, but the percentage of savings is significant. You may experience energy savings of less than or greater than 55%.

 SAFETY TESTED FOR SMOKE AND FIRE

Sergio Rucci, ETC LABORATORIES, Rochester, NY, 2000

Results:

Self Ignition Temperature, ASTM-D-1929, is 660°F
Rate of Burning, ASTM-D-635; Average Time of Burning is 5 seconds; Average Extent of Burning is 1.36 inches.
Smoke Density, ASTM-D-2843 is 36.9%.

Tested:

The glazing film used in Boomerang Energy Panels, which is a very thin, clear, heat-shrink polyolefin.

Impact on Consumer:

For all practical circumstances, Boomerang Energy Panel film is not a smoke or fire hazard. It is so thin and light that in a fire it basically just shrivels up.

SPECS FOR ARCHITECTS
The Window insulation panel is for application to the interior side of an existing window.
Materials
1. Glazing shall be TWO layers of 1mil, triple layer, extruded, cross-linked Polyolefin with haze of 2.7% or less, instrumented impact of 28.5 pounds or more, tensile strength of 15,200 psi or greater and a shrink factor of 13 to 22% at 200 degrees F.
2. Frame rails, stiles, and muntins shall be extruded aluminum, 7/16″ x ¾” in exterior dimension, .060″ wall thickness, provided with glazing retention grooves on two opposite sides.
3. Frame shall be weatherstripped on all surfaces which contact primary window frame.
4. Metal frame shall be finished with durable white or brown paint.
5. Corner fasteners shall be structural nylon in matching colors.
6. Mullions shall be formed H-channels capable of sealing and securing adjacent panel sections and shall be color matched.
Construction
1. Panel shall be added as a supplement on the interior side of an existing exterior window.
2. Panel shall be custom built to match exact fit with existing window.
3. Mounting options shall include a choice of front surface mount or recessed inside the jambs.
4. Panels shall be easy to remove and replace, needing only a screwdriver or no tools, depending on configuration.
5. Panels may optionally have provision for self-storing of sub-panels in place upon each other, and for creating modular coverage of very large (ten feet by ten feet or larger) window areas.
6. Panel shall be built with two essentially clear and airtight glazing surfaces, plus a perimeter draft stop of compressible weatherstrip material.
Performance
1. Panel shall provide immediate comfort and energy savings.
2. Panel shall virtually stop drafts and air infiltration.
3. Tested insulation value shall outperform Energy Star northern zone criteria panel in combination with existing windows shall have a tested U-factor of .31 or less.
4. Panel shall have a minimal visual effect upon the exterior architecture, and minimal and totally reversible effect on interior architecture.
5. Panel shall reduce condensation and noise.
6. Glazing material shall have high clarity.
7. Glazing material shall have the ability to withstand the impact of a 50mph regulation baseball without breaking.
8. Fire and smoke hazards shall be minimal: glazing material shall have a self ignition temperature, per ASTM-D-1929 of no less than 660F; an average time of burn of 5 seconds or less and average extent of burn of 1.4″ or less, per ASTM-D-635; and a smoke density, per ASTM-D-2843 of less than 37%.