Energy-efficient glazing technology [AIA Course]

Virtually all building types need windows and glazing to provide occupants with exteriors views, natural daylight, and relief from a feeling of confinement. In recent years, a wide range of developments have renewed focus on glass technology itself. New formulations are changing the performance of glass in terms of visible light transmittance (VLT), solar management, and thermal performance.

This course discuses these and other technological advances in glazing, which make possible ever more efficient enclosures with ever greater glazed area.

After reading this article, you should be able to:

Describe the basic process for producing float glass for use in architectural applications to enhance visible light transmittance, solar management, and thermal performance in high-performance buildings.
List several of the commonly used secondary glass treatment methods, such as heat treatment, lamination, coating, fritting, and tinting.
Discuss how glazing manages solar energy, based on the properties of transmittance, emissivity, reflectance, and absorption.
Compare various strategies for glass retrofits, including the use of building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV).

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