Low-E glass is an energy efficiency glass that is treated with a transparent coating. The coating allows heat inside a house while keeping ultraviolet and infrared rays outside. It avoids heat loss during the winter months and cools the house during the summer months.
As a result, low-E glass reduces greenhouse gas emissions of the house and thus makes a building environmentally friendly. In addition, it filters harmful ultraviolet rays out, which can affect the skin, deteriorate furniture, and fade the carpets and wall coverings. Therefore, low-E glass is an essential element for structures with a high proportion of windows and glass doors, like offices and commercial buildings.
What is Low-E Glass?
Low-E glass is produced by treating its surface with an invisible and thin metallic oxide coating that reflects heat into the living space. As a result, it prevents heat loss and maintains a consistent temperature inside the room.
It is found that 70% of energy loss in a home is through windows and doors, and 90% of heat loss in windows is through glasses. However, the low-E glass considerably decreases energy loss which is why it is employed to improve the performance of a passive solar heating building.
How does Low-E Glass Improve Energy Efficiency of a Building?
The coating on the glass keeps the inside of a house warm and blocks radiant heat and ultraviolet rays. As a result, it makes the indoor temperature more comfortable while saving energy and lowering bills.
The cost of low-E glass is a few dollars more than standard glass. Nonetheless, the small extra fee is easily offset by its benefits.
Types of Low-E Glass
The types of low-E glass are classified based on the type of coating applied. There are two major types of coatings, which are passive coating and solar coating. Passive low-E glass coating is manufactured to maximize the amount of heat allowed into a living space and keep warmth inside a house.
Consequently, it reduces the dependence of a house on a heating source. The passive low-E glass is suitable for east and north-facing windows through which a large amount of heat loss is expected.
The solar low-E glass is recommended for the west and south-facing windows where overheating can become an issue in the summer months. The passive low-E glass is recommended for cold climates, whereas solar low-E glass is advised for warm climates.
Advantages of Low-E Glass
- Low-E glass can filter out ultraviolet rays that are harmful to skin, hamper furniture quality and distort its color.
- The coating on low-E glass increases its durability and reduces the chance of scratching.
- The low-E glass decreases energy losses by 30-50%, hence the energy efficiency of the building improves dramatically. Therefore, the low-E glass reduces the carbon footprint of the building and makes it more environmentally friendly.
FAQs
Low-E glass is an energy efficiency glass that is treated with a transparent coating that reflects heat inside a building while keeping ultraviolet and infrared rays outside the building.
Yes, the cost of low-E glass is a few dollars more than standard glass. Nonetheless, the small extra fee will easily be offset by the benefits offered by it.
Low-E glass avoids heat loss during the winter months and maintains cooling during the summer months inside the house. Hence, it reduces greenhouse gas emissions of the house and makes a building environmentally friendly.
1. Passive low-E glass
Passive low-E glass coating is manufactured to maximize the amount of heat admitted into a living space and keep warmth inside a house. It is suitable for east and north-facing windows through which a large amount of heat loss is anticipated.
2. Solar low-E glass
Solar low-E glass coating minimizes the amount of heat that enters the house and keeps the building cooler. It is recommended for the west and south-facing windows where overheating can become an issue in the summer months.
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