Why Is The Sustainability Of Aliwood’s Roof Lanterns So Important?

Below our team at Aliwood is discussing the ways in which we make our roof lanterns as eco-friendly as possible.

The sustainability of our Aliwood roof lanterns is a point of great personal pride for us. However, we don’t just manufacture them in this way for our own satisfaction. The current climate crisis taking hold of the world can no longer be ignored. There has never been such an urgency; the world’s oceans are undergoing acidification at a startling rate and single-use plastics are having lasting impacts on them.

Not only this, but global warming is leading to sea-level rise, polar melting (with 2019 reported as the second warmest year since records began) and more drastic weather conditions. This is why it’s so important. People regularly wonder whether drastic action is required, whether the rhetoric around the topic is a bit extreme. It’s not. We try wherever possible to use sustainable methods and processes in the production of our roof lanterns.

Lower Carbon Materials

The increasing levels of CO2 emissions are well documented as being one of the major contributing factors to global warming. By utilising lower-carbon materials, we can help to reduce our own levels of carbon emissions. Aliwood roof lanterns use low-VOC paints, which are completely free of heavy metal additives. We also utilise thermally efficient, highly insulating glass panes in our lanterns. Sustainability is as much about improving long term energy efficiencies as it is about making quick-fix changes. The glass we use will minimise the amount of energy used by heating and in the long run, it will save you money. All the while, saving a little bit of the planet whilst you’re at it! Aliwood’s timber is also sustainably sourced, and its fast-growing nature ensures its environmental impact is minimal.

Reduced Transportation Emissions

If you stop and look at where you’re contributing to carbon emissions daily, the numbers quickly add up. There are several steps we take as a company (and you can too) to help bring those figures down. As a company, Aliwood has managed to reduce air and road mileage by sourcing our timber from Europe as opposed to the US. The other building materials we require for our timber roof lanterns are also all sourced locally where possible. When it comes to building our bespoke roof lanterns, all of our structures are constructed at our dedicated workshop in Essex.

Looking To The Future & Self-Sufficiency

At Aliwood, we’re constantly looking to invest in new technologies for our roof lanterns so that we can make our processes even greener. As well as that, we look to be wholly self-sufficient where possible. For example, Aliwood has recently invested in a biomass boiler. As a result, we not only dispose of our waste on-site and reduce mileage, but also, we convert the waste into the heating of the entire factory and offices. In the future, there are several environmental trends within the construction industry worth keeping in mind. One of these is utilising zero energy construction methods, whereby structures produce as much energy as they consume in their construction. This includes eco-friendly systems like solar panels. Structures that are durable will also be more sustainable. Aliwood’s timber roof lanterns are built to last, using materials whose lifespans are significantly longer. The disposable nature of today’s society is highly unsustainable, whereas architectural elements such as roof lanterns are built to last.

To ensure we have a continually greener future, we have to look where possible to reduce our carbon footprint and utilise more sustainable practices. If you’d like to find out more about Aliwood’s roof lanterns, then get in touch today! Call us on 01245 967107.