1.1 Definition and scope of study

Windows are designed to open buildings up to the outside world: most are made of PVC, but they can also be made of aluminum or wood. Most window sales take place during the construction or renovation of buildings.

The window market experienced strong growth between 2000 and 2008, but is now running out of steam until 2016: the market declined by more than 16% from 2008 to 2016. In 2016, sales recovered and growth resumed, with +3% recorded over the year, with more than 10 million units sold. 2021 was a record year for sales volume, with over 11 million windows sold. PVC accounts for almost 2/3 of the market, ahead of aluminum and wood. Window installation in the new-build market accounts for a quarter of the market, while the rest is taken up by renovation, often replacing wood with PVC. This dynamic market rebound is partly due to the upturn in the housing and construction market in recent years. In recent years, this renewed dynamism has made itself felt.

The market is shared between a few large French companies, generally with a European or even global reach. Competition between the different types of material seems to be established geographically. Aluminum is more successful in the South, wood in the West and PVC in the East and Paris region.

Strategies are based on reducing production costs, but also on developing innovative products that reduce environmental impact by minimizing energy loss through windows.

In 2013, the government's decision to no longer include window renovations in tax deductions worried professionals, as the negative consequences were expected immediately : however, since 2017, numerous state aids have enabled the market to recover (ELAN law, energy transition law, tax credits, etc.). In addition, let's highlight the technological challenge of offering innovative windows such as connected windows that can easily manage ventilation.

1.2 The global market

Global market forecast for windows and doors World, *****-****, in billions of dollars alliedmarketresearch *Estimate on which projection is based

In ****, sales are estimated at $***.* billion.

Between **** and ****, the growth rate is around *%, indicating modest growth. In ****, sales are projected to reach ***.* billion dollars, with a CAGR of *.*% between **** and ****.

1.3 Growth in the French market

Growth in window sales volumes France, ****-****, in units ufme

Looking at the figures, we can see that sales volume saw an initial decline between **** and ****, from ****k* to *****k units. This represents a decrease of *.**%.

Between **** and ****, the downward trend continued with a greater drop of *.**%, with sales falling from *****k to ****k units.

However, a slight recovery was seen between **** and ****, with sales increasing by *.**%, from ****k to ****k units.

From **** to ****, sales volume remained relatively stable, with a slight increase of *.**%, from ****k to ****k units.

Finally, between **** and ****, a significant increase of **.**% was observed, with sales volume rising from ****k to *****k units.

In summary, despite a downward trend between **** and ****, the window frame market has seen a gradual recovery from ****, with strong growth in ****.

In ****, the average price of a window was *** euros, with an annual increase of **.** euros from ****. [***]

Assuming stable price trends until **** (***), we estimate an average price in **** of €***.**.

In ****, ******** windows were sold at an estimated average price of around €***.**, so: ***.** x ******** = *,***,***,***

This gives a market size of around six billion euros in ****.

1.4 French foreign trade, by window type

Steel windows:

Foreign trade in plastic windows and doors France, ****-****, millions of dollars Source: ****

There was a slight increase in exports, from $** million in **** to $** million in ****. However, imports have seen a more significant increase, rising from *** million to *** million over the same period. The coverage rate remains relatively stable, hovering around **%.

Wooden windows and French windows:

Foreign trade in wooden windows and French windows France, ****-****, millions of dollars Source: ****

exports remained relatively stable, with a slight increase in ****. Imports rose more sharply, from ** million to ** million. The coverage rate fluctuated slightly, but remains relatively low at around *%.

Aluminum windows:

Foreign trade in steel and metal window and door frames France, ****-****, millions of dollars Source: ****

Exports fell in ****, before recovering in ****. Imports grew more steadily, reaching *** million in ****. The coverage rate fell significantly in **** and ****, before recovering in **** to **%.

PVC windows:

Foreign trade in aluminum window and door structures France, ****-****, millions of dollars Source: ****

Exports increased gradually, from ** million in **** to ** million in ****. Imports also increased, albeit at a faster pace, from *** million to *** million. The coverage rate remained relatively stable at around **%.

2.1 Trends in premises construction in France

Non-residential construction France, January **** - January ****, billions of square meters Source: ****

Number of units started and built France, January **** - August ****, thousands of homes Source: ****

Non-residential housing starts are an essential and decisive factor in the demand for windows, since the construction of new buildings necessarily entails the need for windows. As a result, the higher the annual level of housing starts, the more dynamic the demand for windows.

From January **** to August ****, there is a general upward trend in local authorizations, with a peak in August **** at ***,***. However, after this peak, there is a steady decline to ***,*** in August ****, a drop of almost **% from the peak.

In terms of space starts, there is a moderate increase until December ****, followed by a stabilization and finally a slight decrease from July ****. In August ****, the number of premises started is ***,***, down by almost **.*% on the December **** peak.

These figures suggest a possible saturation of the construction market or a decline in demand, leading to a reduction in permits and construction starts.

2.2 Trends in new housing construction in France

Residential housing construction France, ****-****, number of authorized housing units Source: ****

Alongside non-residential starts, housing construction is another key factor in the dynamic demand for windows. The number of new residential housing starts per year follows exactly the same trajectory as that of non-residential starts. This is quite logical, given that demand for real estate is highly elastic to real estate prices on the corresponding markets, which have been quite irregular in recent years.

There was a steady decline from **** (***), up **.*% on ****.

Change in housing stock France, ****-****, in thousands logisneuf

Between **** and ****, the housing stock in France increased by **** thousand, from ***** to *****. This represents total growth of **.**% over the period, or average annual growth of around *%.

3.1 The structure of the wood and PVC joinery market

Number of companies in the wood and PVC joinery market France, ****-****, thousands of companies Source: ****

Number of employees in the wood and PVC joinery market France, ****-****, thousands of employees Source: ****

Between **** and ****, the number of companies in the woodwork and PVC joinery market in France increased by *.*%, from ***** to *****. This growth was gradual over the period.

At the same time, the number of employees in this sector grew by **.*%, from ***** to ******. This larger increase suggests an increase in the average size of companies in the sector.

This faster growth in the number of employees relative to the number of companies may indicate a trend towards market consolidation, where existing companies tend to hire more manpower to meet growing demand, potentially reflecting an optimization of resources and a concentration of the sector.

3.2 Structure of the metal window and door manufacturing market

Number of companies in the metal window and door manufacturing market France, ****-****, thousands of companies Source: ****

Number of employees in the metal window and door manufacturing market France, ****-****, thousands of employees Source: ****

Between **** and ****, the number of companies in the metal window and door manufacturing market in France fell slightly, from **** to ****. This represents a decrease of *.*%. However, there will be a slight upturn in **** compared with ****.

Paradoxically, the number of employees in this same market increased over the same period, rising from ***** to *****, an increase of *%. This steady rise in the number of employees indicates an increase in productivity per company.

In conclusion, despite a decline in the number of companies, the metal window and door manufacturing market in France appears to be consolidating around larger, more productive companies.

Overall, these figures suggest that the market is adapting to economic changes and consumer demands, with larger, more efficient companies predominating in the sector.

3.3 General structure of the window market

Breakdown of window sales by material France, ****, as % of total sales for the year ufme

Almost **% of windows sold are made of PVC, and over **% of aluminum.

French regions and frame material production France, ****, in units ufme

In terms of window frame material production, Pays de la Loire is the biggest producer.

Geographical breakdown of window frame material production France, ****, as % of total production ufme

[***]

The Pays de la Loire region leads the way with *,*** units produced, representing **% of total national production. This region predominates in PVC and aluminum frame production, with *** and *** units respectively.

Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Grand-Est follow with **% and **% of total production. It is interesting to note that Nouvelle-Aquitaine has a significantly higher production of wooden frames than the Grand-Est (***).

The Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region has a more even split between PVC, aluminum and wood.

The PACA region, on the other hand, stands out with a higher production of Alu than PVC. This is a geographical peculiarity, as in most regions, PVC frame production is dominant.

The Île-de-France region has the lowest production, with only *% of the national total.

Overall, PVC is the most widely used window frame material in France, followed by aluminum. Wood and steel are used ...

3.4 Value chain

4.1 Types of windows on offer in France

There are three main categories of windows in France today, if we look at a classification by the types of materials used[***]:

Wooden windows:

Positive ecobalance (***) ; Among the lowest prices (***); Good insulation performance (***) Wood also has the advantage of being easy to repair (***) and recyclable.

PVC windows:

The worst ecobalance of all products, since it contains non-recyclable and/or recoverable materials; However, PVC windows are the least expensive on the market; Thermal insulation is good and they require no maintenance.

Aluminum windows:

Unfavorable ecobalance, like PVC (***); However, aluminum is highly recyclable and maintenance-free; These windows have excellent thermal conductivity, which reduces their insulating capacity.

In addition to these three main window categories in France, there are also hybrid options that combine the advantages of different materials to meet specific consumer needs. Here are a few examples of these hybrid windows:

Mixed wood-aluminium windows:

These windows combine the warm aesthetics of wood on the exterior with the properties of aluminum, which offers high durability and low maintenance. This combination delivers good insulation performance while reducing the ecological impact compared with a pure aluminum window.

PVC-aluminum combination windows:

These offer the thermal insulation benefits of PVC on the inside of the house, while ...

4.2 The window life cycle

The "classic" life cycle of windows can be broken down into * distinct stages, which are as follows[***] :

Production:

This stage is essentially centered around the raw materials needed to produce the product, according to the desired characteristics. These are numerous, since they concern :

type of joinery ; type of glazing (***) ; number of sashes; window frame material; window height and width; assembly; type of finish.

please note that this list is not exhaustive, but includes the main decisions that need to be made during the window production process.

The construction process:

This essentially involves transporting the windows to the construction site and installing them in the building concerned.

Use of the product, partly linked to the structure of the building:

This third part concerns product maintenance and any necessary repairs. In the event of repair, two additional cycles are added: replacement and rehabilitation.

End-of-life windows:

This last stage is made up of several parts, including the collection process for the damaged window / window to be replaced, the recovery system (***) and the disposal of the remaining product.

The window life cycle, as broken down into four distinct stages, has a significant impact on the environment and natural resources. Each of these stages presents challenges ...

4.3 Window prices

Dimensions Number of leaves Purchase price **x**cm * leaf Between €** and €*** **x**cm * leaf Between €** and €*** ***x***cm *-leaf Between €** and €*** ***x***cm *-panel Between €*** and €*** [***]

Minimum price (***) Maximum price (***) Installation only: price per window *** € *** € Price of a wooden window (***) *** € * *** € Price of an aluminum window (***) *** € *** € Price of a PVC window (***) *** € *** € Price of a mixed aluminum-wood window (***) *** € * *** € Price of a double-glazed window (***) *** € *** € Price of a triple-glazed window (***) *** € * *** €

[***]

As far as purchase prices are concerned, we can see that for a **x**cm window with one casement, the price ranges from €** to €***, while a larger window, ***x***cm with two casements, costs from €*** to €***. This means that as the size of the window and the number of sashes increase, so does the price.

Installation costs range from €*** to €*** per window. This means that labor can make up a significant proportion of the total cost.

In terms of materials, wooden windows are the most expensive, with prices ranging from €*** to €*,*** with installation, while PVC windows are the least expensive, with prices ranging from €*** to €*** with installation. Aluminum windows and aluminum-wood combination windows are in the middle price range.

Finally, in terms of glazing type, triple-glazed windows are the most expensive, with prices ranging ...

4.4 Windows with increasingly efficient UV coefficients

Window performance

[***]

today, there are several hundred different types of glazing. However, they do not all have the same efficiency, and therefore the same impact on the thermal balance of the dwelling/room. For this reason, a typology of coefficients is used to characterize windows (***), the main ones of which are as follows[***]:

The UW coefficient:

Expressed in W/(***), the better.

Intuitively, the higher the UW coefficient, the better the product's thermal insulation.

SW coefficient:

This coefficient is a unitless number that determines a window's ability to transmit solar heat. It is also known as the solar coefficient. Unlike the UW coefficient, a good solar coefficient is a high coefficient. As a general rule, a low UW coefficient will result in a low SW coefficient, due to the insulating efficiency of slightly opaque glazing.

TLW coefficient:

This is the light transmission coefficient. also unitless, the TLW coefficient determines a window's ability to transmit solar radiation. Here again, the higher the coefficient, the better the transmission.

When looking for windows to improve a building's energy efficiency, the UW coefficient, or thermal transmittance, is a key indicator. The lower this coefficient, the better the window's thermal insulation. This means less heat escapes ...

5.1 Regulatory framework for windows in France

As far as thermal regulations for windows in France are concerned, two standards are imposed[***]:

l'Arrêté du ** octobre ****, concernant les caractéristiques thermiques ainsi que les exigences énergétiques des bâtiments nouveaux / des parties nouvelles de bâtiments existants, better known as RT ****; arrêté du * mai ****, concerning the thermal characteristics and energy requirements of existing buildings, better known as RT Existant.

New-build windows must meet the following requirements:

Justification of maximum air permeability by measurement: Q*Pa max = *.* m*/(***) for apartment buildings; Minimum glazing area in dwellings = */* of living area; Minimum solar factor for non-air-conditioned sleeping areas.

Renovation requirements differ and are as follows:

Sliding windows must have a heat loss performance Uw ≤ *.* W/m².K ; Other types of window must have a thermal performance Uw ≤ *.* W/m².K ; In all cases, glazing must have a heat loss value Ug < *.* W/m².K.