Page 55 - Green Builder May-June 2018 Issue

Windows: In the Clear

INDOWS HAVE ONE obvious purpose: They
provide a view of what’s going on outside the
home. To that end, Zola Windows offers its
W PanoramicView Lift & Slide product with less of
one thing, which cuts down on the visuals: the window frame.
The fixed glass portion is completely frameless, offering a
sleek profile to enhance a minimalist look. The operable
sliding sash is only 3.5 inches wide, but it can support a pane
of glass of 8 feet by 10 feet.
A quadruple compression seal gives the product an
airtightness that’s at Passive House status. R-11 triple glazing
is standard, but it’s also available in R-5 dual and R-15 quad
versions. PanoramicView Lift & Slide also lets the sunshine in,
but not too much: Visible light transmittance is at 71 percent,
placing it in the top one-third of all treated windows.
Speaking of light: A survey by Ipsos Public Affairs reveals
that 94 percent of participants prefer a home to have
abundant natural light. That’s where Saint-Gobain excels. The
company’s SageGlass electrochromic glass can be adjusted CREDIT: ZOLA WINDOWS
with a smartphone to control the amount of sunlight entering
a home or building. A download of the SageGlass Dynamic
World app allows a smartphone user to tint a window to up to Bright ideas. Zola Windows’ upgraded PanoramicView Lift & Slide is sleeker, stronger,
60 percent. Settings can also be controlled by wall switches or more airtight and free of frames within each segment of glass.
a built-in automation system. The latter can place SageGlass
on autopilot for the day.
Electrochromic glass consists of five micro-thin layers
of ceramic material that, with the application of electricity,
absorb light ions. The greater the amount of voltage, the
darker with glass becomes. Electricity use is minimal: Saint-
Gobain notes that SageGlass requires less energy to light 1,000
square feet than a 60-watt bulb, and can cut overall power
usage by about 20 percent annually. This also helps a home
meet LEED specifications.
That’s a big point for glass manufacturers. The International
Window Film Association estimates that up to one-third
of energy costs stem from heat and cool air lost due to
inefficient windows. That’s where products such as Andersen’s
High-Performance Low-E4 SmartSun glass come in. The
manufacturer states the product is 49 percent more energy
efficient in winter and up to 70 percent more energy efficient
in summer than conventional dual-pane glass, and prevents up
to 95 percent of ultraviolet rays from entering a home. This
places it in the same category as tinted glass in terms of light
management, but maintains the aesthetics of clear windows.
Even vinyl window makers are getting into the act.
Alside’s New Construction Vinyl Window Collections combine
low-E glass with a u-channel warm-edge spacer system to
create a thermal barrier that helps them meet Energy Star
requirements in Northern, North Central, South Central and CREDIT: SAINT-GOBAIN
Southern climate zones. Both series carry heat loss U-factor
ratings of 0.23 to 0.5, and solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) A tinted view. SageGlass electrochromic glass can be adjusted with a smartphone to
ratings of 0.2 to 0.64. control the amount of sunlight entering a home or building.

www.greenbuildermedia.com May/June 2018 GREEN BUILDER 53

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