Improved Processes and Materials for Energy Saving Glazing

Low emissivity glass, sometimes known as 'low E' or 'low energy glass', is playing an increasingly significant role in building energy efficiency. The key feature of this glass technology is a thin coating with a refractive index chosen to enhance the capture of solar energy and reduce heat loss from within the building. There is a significant opportunity to develop new improved 'low E' coatings coupled with more efficient cost effect processes to fabricate them. This project addresses both of these topics by targeting increased performance and reduced cost compared with current low energy glazing. With increasing environmental awareness, more emphasis is now being placed on ways to save energy in any building, domestic or commercial, and Glazing products can play an important role to minimise heat loss from these structures. This heat loss is normally measured by the thermal transmittance or U value and in its most basic terms, the lower the U value, the greater the thermal insulation. Insulating Glass Units incorporating low emissivity glass can significantly improve the Thermal Insulation values hence the improved performance targeted on the project will have a large impact. It is estimated that if all the existing buildings in Europe without low-E glazing were to have it installed to current regulations recently introduced relating to minimum energy efficiency standards, it would save 27-30% of building energy and 140 M Tonnes of carbon dioxide.