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What is the best glass is for energy efficiency?
At VUE Windows, we understand that effective windows do more than just illuminate your space and shield you from the elements. Traditional glass, while essential for letting in light, often falls short in insulation and can be a significant source of heat gain and loss. This is why our Aluplast uPVC windows and doors offer more than just style, transparency and weather resistance. Our products feature a multi-chambered profile and twin weather seals that significantly enhance thermal insulation. When combined with double glazing, these features dramatically reduce heat transfer, immediately lowering heating and cooling costs. Our 5-star energy-efficient windows are designed to keep unwanted temperatures out, ensuring comfort remains inside your home.
Types of Double & Triple Glazing
Insulating glazing typically has two, or sometimes as many as three, panes of glass sealed together with air trapped between them to act as an insulator. When the unit is properly sealed, condensation will not occur between the panes; a drying agent called a desiccant is used in the spacer (the strip inside the panes that helps keep them apart) as added insurance against condensation. There are also several glass products on the market for special situations and uses, including safety glass. Here is a closer look at high-performance specialty glazing:
Low-Emissivity Glass
Low-emissivity, or low-e, glazing has a film applied to one of the glass surfaces. This coating allows light in but also prevents some solar rays from being transmitted through the glass. A low-e coating can help keep your home cool on a hot day by blocking longer-wave radiant heat from entering, and on a cold day it can prevent the radiant interior heat from escaping through the glass. Low-e coatings also block ultraviolet rays, which reduces the fading of floors, floor coverings, drapes, and upholstery.
Tinted Glass
Usually given a bronze or grey cast, tinted glass dramatically cuts glare and heat from the sun (solar gain) yet only slightly reduces the amount of light admitted into your home. Where sun-caused fading or damage may be a serious problem, such as at unprotected south-facing windows, you may want to opt for glass with a solar bronze or solar grey tint to reject UV rays
Safety Glass
Safety glass is engineered for optimum safety and durability, making it ideal for both residential, office and commercial settings. It shatters into blunt, non-sharp pieces to significantly reduce the risk of injuries, especially in high-traffic areas. Safety glass is required by building codes for certain projects. Safety glass is available as tempered or laminated glass. Tempered glass is heat-treated during the manufacturing process and crumbles (instead of shattering) if broken. Laminated glass has a film of plastic that holds the glass together if broken.
Reflective Glass
Like tinted glass, reflective glass reduces solar gain, improving a home’s energy efficiency. From the outside, it appears to be a mirror, obscuring the view and giving you privacy from those pesky neighbours. But beware, at night time, it gives the opposite effect when you have the light on inside, and you can see in easily.
Benefits of Energy Effcient uPVC Windows & Doors
Energy Efficient
With up to 40% of a home’s energy for cooling or heating being lost or gained through windows, improving its thermal performance is necessary to reduce energy costs.
Noise Reduction
Sustainability & Durability
Manufactured with special protection against discolouring, distortion & shrinkage of our uPVC windows and doors.
The Aluplast Advantage
VUE Windows offers the strength, engineering and assurance of Aluplast, a world-leading brand of uPVC window & door solutions.
Call us today for a quote on a new set of uPVC Windows and Doors
FAQ’s
What is a U-value or U-factor?
U-value measures how well a product prevents heat from escaping. It is a measure of the rate of non-solar heat loss or gain through a material or assembly. U-value ratings generally fall between 2.0-10.0 W/m2.K for Australian products. The rate of heat is indicated in the terms of the U-value of a window assembly which includes the effect of the frame, glass, seals and any spacers. The lower the U-value, the greater a window’s resistance to heat flow and the better its insulating value. UW is the value for the whole window and because of its importance is usually abbreviated to U, UC is the value at the centre of the glass, and UF is the value for the frame.
What is the difference between the R-value and the U-value?
R-value = Wall and ceiling insulation values
U-value =Windows and other fenestration products
The higher the R-value, the better insulated are the walls and ceilings. The lower the U-value, the better job a window does in keeping out the heat and cold.
What does Solar Heat Gain Co-efficient (SHGC) mean?
SHGC measures how well a product blocks heat caused by sunlight. The SHGC is the fraction of incident solar radiation admitted through a window, both directly transmitted, and absorbed and subsequently released inward. SHGC is expressed as a number between 0 and 1. The lower a window’s SHGC, the less solar heat it transmits. In very cold climates, windows with very low U-values minimise discomfort. If summer discomfort is expected very low SHGC values should be looked at, but bear in mind that lower SHGCs lead to increased comfort in the summer at the expense of less winter solar warmth.
How does safety glass contribute to security and noise reduction in my home or business?
The robust composition of safety glass makes it difficult to break, offering an added layer of security against potential break-ins. Additionally, its German-engineered design and Australian construction provides excellent sound insulation, helping to shield indoor spaces from external noise, which contributes to a quieter and more peaceful environment.
