Alpen High Performance Products announced new slimmer profile options in its Tyrol uPVC window system. Tyrol Edge and Tyrol Contour advance the platform's design flexibility while preserving its energy efficiency, with whole-window thermal performance up to R-11 (U-0.09).
Alpen replaced traditional double glazing and steel reinforcements with lightweight multi-pane AlpenGlass IGUs and fiberglass composites, reducing weight, increasing thermal performance and enabling slimmer, larger windows. These innovations support both design freedom and affordable energy performance to meet evolving building codes and Passive House standards.
"Alpen's upgraded Tyrol line is North America's most advanced composite window," says CEO Andrew Zech, Alpen CEO. "Combining uPVC with structural fiberglass, the new system delivers narrower sightlines, larger sizes, and when glazed with Alpen's advanced glass units ranks as the most energy efficient in the country. We manufacture all of our windows in Colorado on a new, precision manufacturing line. This is our most innovative window yet, and it's more affordable than you'd think."
Key advancements in Tyrol Edge and Contour
- Large-format windows with slimmer sightlines: A composite frame with continuous fiberglass reinforcement, combined with lightweight triple-pane AlpenGlass, reduces weight by 30-50% while maintaining structural rigidity for sizes up to 78.75 inches by 118 inches.
- Whole-window thermal performance up to R-11 (U-0.09): Optional quad-pane AlpenGlass IGUs boost center-of-glass R-values up to R-15 (U-0.067).
- Air infiltration as low as 0.01 CFM/square foot: Supporting both Passive House certification and draft-free indoor comfort.
- Acoustic benefits: Asymmetrical IGU construction, featuring an ultra-thin glass core, and a triple-sealed frame design dampen sound transmission up to STC 45/ OITC 37.
- Design flexibility: Two new profiles – Edge and Contour – accommodate both contemporary and classic building aesthetics, with Alpen's European-style, dual-action tilt-turn functionality in a slimmer frame.
"We've eliminated traditional steel reinforcement from both the sash and frame, replacing it with advanced structural composites that reduce weight, improve thermal performance, and enable larger, cleaner, more efficient windows," says Tim Maierhofer, Chief Operating Officer of Alpen.
Unlike conventional vinyl windows, Alpen's Tyrol is manufactured from uPVC (unplasticized polyvinyl chloride), with a multi-chambered frame design and continuous fiberglass reinforcements. This approach eliminates the warping, cracking, and thermal performance loss seen in traditional plasticized vinyl systems.
The Tyrol system continues to serve a wide range of high-performance building applications – from code-compliant commercial buildings and affordable multi-family housing to Passive House and net zero homes – by balancing energy efficiency, structural performance, and long-life practicality backed by 10 to 20-year warranties.