Solar Gard, which makes solar control films, has launched the Capsol audit tool, which measures the impact of solar gain on office buildings. Capsol, and Solar Gard’s complementary consulting service, can be used to predict the results of retrofitting solar control window film

Hydro Building Systems has opened a dedicated test centre for its Wicona brand of facade products. Located at Bellenberg in Bavaria, the centre will enable new products and project-specific facade solutions to be tested in-house and independently certified.

John Brash has published a guide to specifying cedar shingles and shakes. It is aimed at architects and installers and it includes specification guidelines along with comprehensive drawings of roof constructions. The guide also highlights the sustainable advantages of using cedar shingles and shakes, which can be used for vertical cladding and on roofs with pitches as shallow as 14º.