Super-insulating Glazing for Commercial Buildings: Advantages of Suspended Film

Triple Pane vs Suspended Film

The transition from single pane glass to dual pane (with a single-cavity) provided an improvement in thermal performance. The introduction of multi-chamber glass packages – created by two or three suspended, wavelength-selective thin film technology - allow for significantly improved energy savings performance, superior durability and longevity, and installation advantages over triple-pane glazing solutions, depending on location, building type, and other factors.

Extra Weight of Triple-Pane Glass Compromises Functionality, Durability, and Ease-of-Installation

Triple-pane glass units can be significantly heavier than standard insulating glass. The heavier glass requires stronger framing systems which can increase the overall cost of any building project. The extra weight can also impose strict size constraints, and may affect how much glass is used in the design of a building -- impacting the overall aesthetics of a structure. General functionality of triple-pane windows is also affected by their weight. Additional stress is placed on all operable mechanisms in the window and the window hardware, wearing them out quicker.

Disadvantages of Triple-Pane Glazing:

• Potentially higher project costs (more labor, sturdier frames, stronger building design)
• More weight (heavier) than standard insulating glass
• Aesthetic and design limitations due to size constraints imposed on the glass and window units
• Increased stress on frame potentially creating gaps that will allow air, water and dust infiltration
• Amount of natural light in the overall design may be reduced
• Additional stress on operable portions of the window and window hardware
• Wider glass packages may not fit framing systems or window openings

Advantages of Suspended Film

Suspended film (SF) is one of the most significant technologies critical to improving insulation and achieving higher performance across a broad spectrum of glazing characteristics - without any of the design limitations typical of triple-pane glass systems. Internally mounted, clear films work together to complement the benefits of low-e glass. Combining both film and glass-based low-E coatings creates a lightweight, multi-cavity insulating glass unit that reflects heat and harmful UV radiation while maximizing light transmission, and provides superior insulation performance ranging from R-6 to R-20 center of glass. The glass and films of SF packages are separated by thermally insulated spacer systems to improve the insulating performance at the edge of the glass unit. A variety of inert gases can also be used to fill the air spaces to further block heat transfer.

Benefits of Suspended Film Glazing in SeriousWindows and SeriousGlass:

• Directional tuning to enhance daylighting while better controlling morning warmth and afternoon coolness
• 99+% UV protection reduces interior fading and damage and contributes to a healthy indoor environment
• More architectural freedom to include more glass in the design than triple-pane windows
• Maximum condensation control
• Warmer inside glass temperatures in the winter, and cooler inside glass temperatures in the summer