Kalwall: translucent daylighting with EPDs that travel
Design teams love Kalwall for soft, uniform daylight without the glare or heat load of big glass boxes. For manufacturers, the story is simpler. Kalwall is a focused player in translucent FRP sandwich panel systems and, importantly, it backs its flagship assemblies with current, product‑specific EPDs that make getting specified easier when low‑carbon rules apply.
What Kalwall makes in 60 seconds
Kalwall builds translucent daylighting systems based on fiberglass‑reinforced polymer (FRP) sandwich panels in aluminum grids. Think luminous walls and rooflights that glow like a lightbox, not a spotlight. Core applications span vertical façades, unit skylights, long‑span “skyroofs,” and integrated curtain‑wall adapters.
A focused portfolio, many use cases
This is a pure‑play daylighting specialist rather than a broad metals giant. Expect several core families that cover facades, overhead roof glazing, and curtain‑wall integration, plus options for curvature, thermal breaks, color, and diffusion levels. In practice that means a handful of product categories with dozens of configurable assemblies rather than hundreds of unrelated SKUs.
EPD coverage today
Kalwall publishes product‑specific EPDs through a major North American program operator for its wall systems, rooflights, and translucent glazing assemblies. Coverage is broad across the lines specifiers reach for most, including wall panel systems and skyroof systems in North America and Europe. The result is simple. On projects that require third‑party verified declarations, Kalwall can show up ready to play.
Where that matters commercially
Many owners and public agencies now request product‑specific EPDs during submittals to support whole‑building carbon accounting under emerging policies and rating systems. Teams without one often face default factors or penalties that push them down the shortlist, even when performance is solid. Having an EPD doesn’t guarantee a win, but it removes a common barrier and keeps price from becoming the only story.
Substitutes on the table
On some jobs, a translucent façade competes directly with glass curtain wall, ribbon windows, or unitized glazed systems. Big aluminum and glass brands in those categories commonly publish product‑specific EPDs for curtain wall, storefront, or IGUs, which keeps them specification‑ready in EPD‑preferred bids. That context raises the bar for any daylighting solution that wants equal consideration.
Notable gaps and gray areas
Based on public registries, Kalwall’s declarations concentrate on system‑level wall and rooflight assemblies. That likely covers most day‑to‑day scopes. Extremely customized assemblies, unusual adapter packages, or niche accessories may sit outside a given EPD’s exact modeling boundary. When scope lines blur, the fastest path is to confirm the declared unit and included components early in design so submittals don’t stall.
Picking the right LCA partner when you add or renew
If a variant falls outside current coverage, move quickly. The heavy lift is clean plant data and bill‑of‑materials detail. The partner you want is the one who wrangles that with you and doesn’t leave your engineers drowning in spreadsheets. Speed comes from organized data collection, crisp PCR selection, and experienced modeling that lands a dependable, third‑party verified EPD without drama.
Competitive set, in practice
Kalwall most often meets glass curtain wall and window‑wall systems on façades, and glazed or polycarbonate skylights overhead. Architects will compare it with aluminum system houses, façade fabricators, and specialty daylighting firms in education, sports, transit, and healthcare. The common thread is this. When the competitors walk in with product‑specific EPDs in hand, specifers expect you to match that baseline.
A quick sustainability read
Kalwall maintains sustainability resources that explain daylighting benefits, thermal options, and assembly choices on its website. If you need to brief a team in five minutes, start there and confirm which assembly the current EPD aligns to. You can refine from that foundation as details lock in.
Tieing it together
Kalwall is a specialist, not a supermarket. That focus shows up in the product line and in its credible EPD coverage for the assemblies most often specified. If a new variant or accessory steps beyond the declared scope, don’t wait for bid day. Line up the data, pick the right PCR, and let an experienced team streamline collection so your next EPD lands fast and clean.
Frequently Asked Questions
What main products does Kalwall offer and are they a specialist or a generalist manufacturer?
Kalwall focuses on translucent FRP sandwich panel daylighting systems for façades and rooflights. They are a pure‑play specialist rather than a broad metals or glass manufacturer.
Does Kalwall have product-specific EPDs for its core assemblies?
Yes. Kalwall publishes system-level, product‑specific EPDs for wall panel systems, rooflights, and translucent glazing assemblies through a major program operator.
Where could EPD scope gaps still appear for Kalwall projects?
Highly customized assemblies, adapter packages, or niche accessories may sit outside a given EPD’s boundaries. Confirm the declared unit and included components early to avoid submittal delays.
Who does Kalwall often compete against on bids?
Glass curtain wall and window‑wall system houses, IGU fabricators, and specialty daylighting firms that often carry their own EPDs for curtain wall, storefront, or glazing units.
Why do EPDs matter for daylighting products in 2025?
Owners and public agencies increasingly ask for product-specific EPDs to support whole‑building carbon accounting and rating pursuits. Without one, teams can face default factors that make specification harder.
About the Author
Walker Ryan is a climate-tech entrepreneur focused on driving industrial decarbonization through better data. As the founder and CEO of Parq, he helps manufacturers generate high-quality, third-party–verified carbon disclosures at scale—accelerating a traditionally slow and expensive process. Before starting Parq, Walker led over $200 million in sustainability-focused investments as VP of Strategy & Growth at ReStream Solutions, following earlier experience in investment banking at Deutsche Bank. He brings a rare mix of capital markets expertise and hands-on sustainability knowledge to tackling the infrastructure of industrial emissions.
