Proposal of a product indicator as a tool for comprehensive assessment of windows

Windows are elements of great incidence on building consumption and therefore with great saving potential. When designing high-energy efficiency windows, it is possible to negatively influence the indoor environment quality. To ensure indoor environmental quality, hygrothermal comfort, acoustic comfort, luminous comfort, physical-chemical and microbiological contaminants in the air, and the electromagnetic environment must be considered. Of all these aspects, windows intervene in four of them: hygrothermal comfort, luminous comfort, acoustic comfort and air quality. In order to carry out a comprehensive design, designers should study in detail the variables mentioned for each particular case and, consequently, act. This, due to the means and the deadlines with which the prescriber usually counts on, is currently not viable. This research responds to current deficiencies by proposing the development of a product indicator through an integrative procedure for window design that simultaneously contemplates indoor environmental quality, energy efficiency and cost, integrating environmental and socio-economic aspects. The indicator proposed here provides information substantially superior to that currently available to technicians, to be used as a decision making tool.This work has been developed after years working at the Technical university of Madrid (UPM) on the optimization of windows in INVISO, BALI and SIREIN projects funded by Ministry of Science and Innovation (national and European funds), the work currently continues on REVEN Project (BIA2014-56650-JIN), in CSIC, financed by national and European funds.Peer reviewe