by Tom Minnon, LEED® AP, CDT, Eastern Region Sales Manager for Tubelite Inc. As the

American Institute of Architects (AIA) 2012 National Convention and Design Exposition opens in Washington, D.C., exhibitors will be showcasing new technology and products for use in the glass and glazing industry. One focal point will be increasing the thermal performance of commercial glazing systems. This has become paramount as new energy codes continue to be adopted and enforced. Here are some highlights from the exhibit floor.

 

Triple Glazing

Viracon, and other glass fabricators, offer triple-glazed units that minimize heat transfer improving overall thermal performance. However, while a third pane of glass adds to the insulating value of the assembly, it also reduces the visible light transmission (VT) and the solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC). Adding a low-E coating to a surface, or multiple surfaces, of the triple-pane unit will also increase the energy performance, but it may (depending on the type of low-E coating) affect the SHGC and VT. Filling the space between the panes of glass with argon and/or krypton gas will also improve energy performance.

A third pane of glass increases the weight and thickness of the unit, which can make mounting and handling more difficult and transportation more expensive. There are physical and economic limits to the number of glass panes that can be added to a window assembly and the thermal performance benefits diminish as well. Care should be taken to ensure that the architectural aluminum framing system can support the additional weight of triple-glazed units, which average about 10 pounds per square foot.
Booth 3825

 

Suspended Films

A suspended plastic film can be substituted for the middle layer of glass in a triple-glazed unit. The light weight of the plastic film is advantageous. Because it is very thin, it does not increase the unit thickness substantially.

Southwall Technologies’ Heat Mirror® technology is based upon a very thin coated film, which reflects heat back to its source. They offer 12 different films, which provide varying levels of VT and SHGC to meet the diverse requirements of the commercial market place.

Heat Mirror units can be produced with a wide range of glass substrates including clear glass, tinted glass and low-E glass. By taking advantage of the benefits of film-based coatings and glass-based technologies, they can create superior insulating performance and outstanding solar control, while blocking UV radiation, and reducing outside noise more effectively than double-pane glass.

 

Electronically tintable glass

Electronically tintable glass can be specified for windows, skylights and curtainwalls. It is an effective way to control sunlight without shades or blinds, so you can manage glare and heat, while maintaining a connection to the outdoors. SageGlass® offers a solution (electrochromic) that can be adjusted based on the end-users’ preferences. Pleotint, on the other hand, offers a solution (thermochromic) that automatically adjusts based on the sun’s heat.

Electronically tintable glass increases design freedom by removing sun control from the equation. Buildings can be infused with daylight without shades, blinds or louvers.
Booth 2003 and Booth 2318

 

Advanced Aluminum Glazing Systems

Manufacturers of aluminum storefront, curtainwall and windows have responded to the need for increased thermal performance by designing systems that will accommodate glass in thicknesses greater than the typical 1-inch units. Triple glazing is usually 1.75-inch thick (three each 0.25-inch panes of glass and two each 0.5-inch air spaces).

Wausau Window and Wall Systems, and others, can provide curtainwall and windows that will accept this glazing.
Booth 313

 

Lumira Aerogel

Cabot Corporation’s translucent Lumira™ aerogel maintains and enhances energy efficiency, while enabling a wide range of commercial and residential building design choices.

Aerogels are the lightest and best insulating solids in the world. Cabot’s Lumira aerogel is a hydrophobic aerogel produced as particles. Each particle consists largely of air (more than 90 percent) and is contained in a structure with pore sizes less than the mean free path of air molecules, which severely inhibits heat transfer through the material.

The inclusion of Lumira in daylighting systems virtually eliminates the historical trade-off of insulation vs. natural light by providing three to six times the thermal performance of traditional insulated fenestration products, while maintaining optimal light transmission. As a result, even large daylight surface areas can maintain high energy-efficiency by reducing thermal loads.
Several companies that offer Lumira will be exhibiting at the AIA Design Exposition.

 

 

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Tom Minnon, LEED® AP, CDT, is the eastern region sales manager for Tubelite Inc., serving clients from Maine to Georgia. With nearly four decades of industry experience and many professional accreditations, he regularly provides educational and consultative support to architects, buildings owners and glazing contractors regarding storefront, curtainwall, entrances and daylight control systems.

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