Transition, focus and forward: a 2019 Review from the CEO of EuroLine Windows
Transition, focus and forward: a 2019 Review from the CEO of EuroLine Windows As we
Glass Options
Our windows are available in a number of practical and attractive options. From tempered safety glass, to obscure glass for added privacy, we have a wide variety of colours, designs and textures to meet your custom window requirements.
No matter which glass options you choose, every EuroLine product is performance focused. All of our windows come with insulating glass consisting of two 4 mm panes, one with soft coat Low Emissivity Glass, and argon gas between them to improve thermal resistance.
Our products come in a range of energy saving designs, so be sure to speak with our product consultants to get the most energy efficient glass for your particular needs.
Clear glass allows natural light to show without distortion, provides maximum light transmission, and can be tempered for use where safety glass is required.
Low Emissivity (LoE) Glass reduces wintertime heat loss from inside your home due to a thin, nearly colorless metallic coating that reflects heat back into your home. It also allows moderate solar heat gain while reducing harmful ultraviolet light which can damage drapes, furniture, and carpets. Additionally, the LoE coating reduces summertime air conditioning loads by reflecting radiated heat outside your home.
While there are many different LoE coating options, it is available in two basic types: soft coat or hard coat.
Soft-Coat LoE, or sputter coating, is applied in multiple layers of optically transparent silver sandwiched between layers of metal oxide in a vacuum chamber. This process provides the highest level of performance and a nearly invisible coating. Soft-coat offers high visible light transmission, ultra-low emissivities giving optimum winter u-factors, and up to 70% less UV transmission compared with standard clear glazing. All EuroLine products come standard with a soft-coat LoE.
How LoE Works
- The LoE allows most natural light to enter freely but absorbs a significant portion of short-wave heat energy.
- In the summer, long-wave heat energy radiating from objects is reflected back outside, lowering cooling costs.
- In winter, internal long-wave heat energy is reflected back inside, lowering heating cost.
Hard Coat, or pyrolitic coating, is a coating applied at high temperatures and sprayed onto the glass surface. This coating is relatively durable, which allows for ease of tempering. Hard coat LoE can be tempered for increased safety after the coating application. However, it has higher u-values, resulting in reduced thermal performance, compared to soft coat LoE. Also, hard coat LoE has higher haze levels compared to soft coat LoE, resulting in a less attractive appearance.
LoE coatings can be combined to achieve the desired combination of insulation and solar heat gain.
See the table below for some common glass configurations:
| 1400-series | ||||
| Glass Configuration | Ug (btu/h*ft2*°F) | Ug (W/m2*K) | SHGC | VT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22mm overall 3mm E270 – 16mm arg – 3mm cl | 0.26 | 1.46 | 0.37 | 0.70 |
| 22mm overall 3mm E270 – 16mm arg – 3mm i89 | 0.21 | 1.17 | 0.36 | 0.69 |
| 22mm overall 3mm E366 – 16mm arg – 3mm cl | 0.25 | 1.42 | 0.27 | 0.65 |
| 22mm overall 3mm 366 – 16mm arg – 3mm i89 | 0.20 | 1.15 | 0.27 | 0.63 |
| 35mm overall 3mm E270 – 13mm arg – 3mm cl – 13mm arg – 3mm cl | 0.19 | 1.05 | 0.34 | 0.64 |
| 35mm overall 3mm E270 – 13mm arg – 3mm cl – 13mm arg – 3mm E270 | 0.12 | 0.71 | 0.31 | 0.55 |
| 35mm overall 3mm E366 – 13mm arg – 3mm cl – 13mm arg – 3mm cl | 0.18 | 1.03 | 0.25 | 0.59 |
| 35mm overall 3mm E366 – 13mm arg – 3mm cl – 13mm arg – 3mm E366 | 0.12 | 0.68 | 0.24 | 0.47 |
| 35mm overall 3mm E366 – 13mm arg – 3mm cl – 13mm arg – 3mm E270 | 0.12 | 0.69 | 0.24 | 0.50 |
| 4700-series ThermoPlus™ | ||||
| Glass Configuration | Ug (btu/h*ft2*°F) | Ug (W/m2*K) | SHGC | VT |
| 24mm overall 4mm E270 – 16mm arg- 4mm cl | 0.26 | 1.45 | 0.36 | 0.69 |
| 25mm overall 4mm E270 – 16mm arg- 5mm i89 | 0.20 | 1.16 | 0.35 | 0.67 |
| 24mm overall 4mm E366 – 16mm arg – 4mm cl | 0.25 | 1.42 | 0.27 | 0.64 |
| 25mm overall 4mm E366 – 16mm arg – 5mm i89 | 0.20 | 1.14 | 0.27 | 0.62 |
| 44mm overall 4mm E270 – 16mm arg – 4mm cl – 16mm arg – 4mm cl | 0.19 | 1.06 | 0.33 | 0.63 |
| 44mm overall 4mm E270 – 16mm arg – 4mm cl – 16mm arg – 4mm E270 | 0.12 | 0.70 | 0.30 | 0.53 |
| 44mm overall 4mm E366 – 16mm arg – 4mm cl – 16mm arg – 4mm cl | 0.18 | 1.05 | 0.25 | 0.59 |
| 44mm overall 4mm E366 – 16mm arg – 4mm cl – 16mm arg – 4mm E366 | 0.12 | 0.68 | 0.23 | 0.46 |
| 44mm overall 4mm E366 – 16mm arg – 4mm cl – 16mm arg – 4mm E270 | 0.12 | 0.69 | 0.24 | 0.50 |
| 44mm overall 4mm E180 – 16mm arg – 4mm cl – 16mm arg – 4mm E180 | 0.13 | 0.75 | 0.54 | 0.69 |
| 44mm overall 4mm E270 – 16mm arg – 4mm cl – 16mm arg – 4mm E180 | 0.13 | 0.73 | 0.32 | 0.61 |
| 44mm overall 4mm E366 – 16mm arg – 4mm cl – 16mm arg – 4mm E180 | 0.13 | 0.72 | 0.24 | 0.56 |
Notes:
Simulated using WINDOW 6.3
Ug values are COG (centre of glass) values
Imperial Ug is metric Ug/5.678263
Tempered Safety Glass is heat treated to strengthen glass and resist breakage from impact or windload, resist abrasion and chemical damage, and reduce the likelihood of breakage from severe temperature changes. Tempered safety glass fractures into small, dull pieces if breakage occurs.Obscure glass adds privacy where window coverings are not practical or desirable. Various colors and texture patterns provide a translucent or semi-opaque effect that can also be tempered for use where safety glass is required.
Satin Etch |
Pinhead |
Rain |
Pinstripe (Flute, Reeded) |
Tinted Glass is a combination of trace metal particles and glass that softens internal glare. It increases privacy and reduces internal heat gain. It blends with the exterior wall treatment to soften its overall appearance.
Tinted glass has energy-absorbing materials dispersed through it, lowering the shading coefficient and giving a tinted color – generally bronze, gray, blue, or green.
A tint by itself achieves only a modest shading coefficient. Reflective glazing increases the shading coefficient because it reflects rather than absorbs most of the infrared heat. Unfortunately, light transmittance is very low and the reduced cooling load may be offset by the increased lighting requirements.
Spectrally selective glazings bring in light without the heat. They are highly transmissive in the visible spectrum while blocking the infrared. They transmit or reflect specific wavelengths and the result is both an excellent shading coefficient and good visible transmittance.
Tinted glass has energy-absorbing materials dispersed through it, lowering the shading coefficient and giving a tinted color – generally bronze, gray, blue, or green.
A tint by itself achieves only a modest shading coefficient. Reflective glazing increases the shading coefficient because it reflects rather than absorbs most of the infrared heat. Unfortunately, light transmittance is very low and the reduced cooling load may be offset by the increased lighting requirements.
Spectrally selective glazings bring in light without the heat. They are highly transmissive in the visible spectrum while blocking the infrared. They transmit or reflect specific wavelengths and the result is both an excellent shading coefficient and good visible transmittance.
Laminated Safety Glass combines sheets of glass with a clear or white adhesive plastic film sandwiched between the panes to keep glass in place should breakage occur. It reduces sound transmission due to the dampening effect of the plastic film and reduces dangerous ultraviolet rays by 99%.
Laminated glass is used for both safety and noise reduction applications. If broken, glass fragments adhere to the plastic interlayer rather than falling free and potentially causing injury. Laminated glass is highly effective in reducing noise, thus improving Sound Transmission Class ratings. It also blocks 99% of ultraviolet rays, making it highly effective in prolonging the appearance of furnishings, displays, merchandise, and other valuables. (Reducing ultraviolet rays does not stop the fading of materials.)“Using gases such as argon and krypton between the glass surfaces can greatly improve thermal resistance. LoE gas-filled windows are so effective that attention is now focused on the edge of the IG unit and the window frame as thermal weak points; improvements include thermal breaks in metal frames, greater use of wood and clad wood sash and frames, or the use of lower conductance frame materials like vinyl. On a winter day in a northern exposure ‘superwindows’ actually achieve a net heat gain, contributing more useful solar heat gain than conductive losses.”
Quoted from PG&E Energy Efficiency Information “Commercial Window Glazing Systems”, page 5
For further information, please visit www.efficientwindows.org