On November 5, the FBC China International Door, Window, and Curtain Wall Expo opened grandly in Shanghai. Henan Keraoen Door and Window Co., Ltd. (“Crown”), a leading enterprise in China's door and window sector, made a stunning appearance at the exhibition with the theme “Zero-Carbon Realm” and also participated in the 2nd UPVC Green and Sustainable Development Forum. During the “Zero-Carbon Technology Pioneer Certification Ceremony,” Carbon Newture, an innovative decarbonization service platform, awarded Crown the product carbon footprint certificates for its six core window and door products—including ES70MD+, ES81MD+ Exterior Aluminum-Clad Window, ES100MD+ Ultra-Narrow Frame Window & Door, ZEW92MD+, ZEW103MD+ Exterior Aluminum-Clad Passive Window, and ZNE80MD+ Passive Window. These products completed a cradle-to-gate carbon footprint assessment in accordance with the international standard ISO 14067.
Zero-Carbon Technology Pioneer Certification Ceremony, Carbon Newture CEO Arthur Huang (left) with Crown’s Head of Marketing, Zhang Xueli (right)
By completing carbon footprint accounting for its core products, Crown not only fulfills its commitment to environmentally responsible R&D, but also takes a leadership role as a “Zero-Carbon Technology Breakthrough Innovator” in addressing systemic decarbonization challenges in the construction industry.
01.The Challenge and the Breakthrough:Facing the “Biggest Energy Leak” in Buildings
Decarbonizing the construction sector is a critical challenge on the pathway to China’s carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals.
According to the China Association of Building Energy Efficiency, in 2022, total carbon emissions from buildings and the construction sector reached 5.13 billion tCO₂, accounting for about 48% of national energy-related emissions. Of this, building construction (including material production, transport, and on-site installation) emitted 2.82 billion tCO₂, while building operation emitted 2.31 billion tCO₂¹—nearly equal in scale.
Summary of Carbon Emissions from Building and Construction in 2022, Source: Research Report on Carbon Emissions in China’s Urban and Rural Construction Sector (2024 Edition)
The data shows that building decarbonization is a systematic, full life-cycle challenge. Emissions stem from two main sources:
Operational carbon—emissions during building operation.
Embodied carbon—emissions from building material production, construction, and demolition.
Within this large system, windows and doors have quietly emerged as the “biggest energy leak” in buildings.
With thermal conductivity much higher than other envelope components, windows and doors account for 5–10% of building energy use, making them one of the main channels of heat loss². As a result, inefficiency at the window and door level drives up operational carbon as follows:
🔸 Poor window performance leads to rapid heat loss in winter and excessive heat gain in summer
🔸 HVAC systems are forced into high-load operation to maintain indoor comfort
🔸 With energy grids still dominated by fossil fuels, this leads directly to high CO₂ emissions
As a result, replacing inefficient windows has become a clear opportunity for carbon reduction. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, replacing single-pane windows with certified energy-efficient alternatives can reduce a homeowner’s energy bills by an average of 12%, equivalent to cutting 1,006 to 6,205 pounds of CO₂ emissions per year³.
However, in China, the window and door sector—despite its key role in building energy-efficiency—faces challenges: a fragmented industry with inconsistent product quality and limited consumer awareness. Over 70% of consumers report issues with insulation, soundproofing, and airtightness, yet 48% are unfamiliar with low-energy windows⁴.
This dual gap in market maturity and public perception urgently needs a breakthrough leader.
02.Commitment and Innovation:11 Years of “Precision Decarbonization” from Two Carbon Sources
Confronted with both high-embodied-carbon and high-operational-carbon challenges, Crown chose the “difficult but right path”—a green, low-carbon strategy that targets both carbon sources in windows and doors.
Tackling Operational Carbon:Triple Breakthrough in Materials, Structure, and Technology
To fundamentally address energy loss through windows, Crown has been innovating since its founding in 2014—starting with core improvements to materials and structure.
While competitors focused on basic performance features, Crown took the lead by developing recyclable, high-polymer UPVC composite materials. UPVC (Unplasticized Polyvinyl Chloride), commonly known as rigid PVC, is durable, cost-effective, and highly insulating—serving as the first line of defense for thermal performance.
At the same time, Crown innovated in structural design by developing multi-chambered UPVC profiles that suppress heat transfer, enabling both energy-saving and stability. This became the second layer of thermal insulation.
UPVC profile structure of the ES70MD+ product, source: Crown website
In the 11 years since, Crown has focused on UPVC-driven carbon reduction, solving welding challenges by developing seamless welding techniques that enhance airtightness and further reduce energy loss.
With Crown and other leading UPVC window companies driving the transition, China’s window and door sector is shifting toward higher quality and sustainability. The concept of “New Quality Plastic Windows” was proposed by the China Building Metal Structure Association, introducing Crown’s corporate standards into national standards.
Through advancements in material, structure, and technology, Crown has built a robust thermal performance “moat” that leads the industry in insulation, airtightness, and energy performance—effectively controlling operational carbon.
Counting Embodied Carbon:Laying the Data Foundation for Precision Decarbonization
The construction supply chain is long and complex, and upstream emission data is often opaque. Measuring embodied carbon remains a challenge across the industry.
As a pioneer, Crown has not only tackled operational carbon, but has now opened the “black box” of embodied carbon. In 2025, Crown established a full life-cycle carbon monitoring system for its UPVC window and door products, enabling carbon data visualization across R&D, production, usage, and recycling—officially entering the “precision decarbonization” era.
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With support from Carbon Newture, Crown completed carbon footprint accounting for its six core products—an important milestone in its precision decarbonization strategy. With full clarity on upstream emissions from raw materials, production, and processing, Crown now has the data foundation to further reduce embodied carbon and develop greener products.
This also responds precisely to China’s green policy direction. According to a joint notice issued by the Ministry of Finance and others, government procurement is to “actively promote green buildings and green building materials,” forming long-term mechanisms to support decarbonization in the building sector. The “Government Procurement Standards for Green Buildings and Green Building Materials” encourages carbon footprint self-assessment or third-party certification for green building materials.
“Notice on Further Expanding Government Procurement to Support Green Building Materials,” Source: Chinese Government Website
With China’s construction sector shifting toward high-quality, low-carbon growth, demand from the new generation of green buildings and urban renewal for verifiable, quantifiable green materials is rapidly growing. By completing carbon footprint accounting for its products, Crown now holds a first-mover advantage in green construction supply chains, strengthening both market appeal and industry leadership.
03.Conclusion
With precise carbon data, Crown has turned building carbon into an “open ledger,” gaining market trust and sending a strong signal to the industry: as China’s green building standards advance, carbon footprint quantification and transparency will increasingly become a mandatory question across the building value chain.
