The essence of glass
Glass quality goes far beyond an insulation value. Glass fundamentally defines safety, as well as the quality of light, air and sound, how heat and moisture behave, and how we experience comfort. Yet today, glass quality is often reduced to insulation figures, mostly in service of an energy label-systems that simplify reality and disguise temporality.
Van Ruysdael perceives performance differently. Not as a snapshot, but as a whole, in balance with its context.
Glass that preserves its integrity, respects architecture, and endures for generations.
Not compromise, but harmony. Not extremes, but balance. And it is precisely there that true progress resides.
Product Performance
Impact of the Product
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Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)
Where the energy label is based solely on theoretical energy savings and a short lifespan of ten years, Van Ruysdael goes further, beyond the greenest label.
Functionality is aligned with reality: with people, buildings, architecture, heritage preservation, maintenance, and environmental impact. Not for ten years, but from the moment of installation to generations ahead.
The energy label may appear to be a measure of sustainability, yet for window glass it is limited to an insulation value and grounded in theory. In practice, the calculated performance often deviates by hundreds of percent from actual consumption, as confirmed by TNO, PBL, and Ghent University.
This one-sided focus on insulation and financial incentives harms architecture and heritage, disturbing natural and physical systems that have functioned effortlessly for centuries. Increasingly, this is “corrected” through additional mechanical ventilation and monitoring systems, turning sustainability into symptom management that nullifies the initial savings.
What the label fails to consider are the real factors: material impact, production, (intercontinental) transport, additional maintenance, lifespan, indoor climate quality, and a changing climate.
Van Ruysdael therefore chooses coherence in practice, an integrated approach that protects buildings, offers comfort to people, and creates value that lasts for generations.