What Is Low-E Glass & What Are The Benefits?
Glass windows have been used across the world for thousands of years. They allow natural light into the home while providing a certain level of privacy at the same time. Over the last hundred years, modern inventors have created more and more advanced versions of this glass. They have done this to improve both energy efficiency and comfort. This article is going to discuss the following: What is Low-E glass? What are its benefits? How is it different from non-Low-E glass? In addition, you will learn about how Low-E glass can be applied in your home.
What Is Low-E Glass?
Low-E glass is a type of glass that improves energy efficiency for buildings. It is used in windows, skylights, and other applications where light may pass through the glazing. Low-E is short for low emissivity. The low-emissivity coating reduces the amount of heat transferred from inside to outside by reflecting infrared light back into the room. Low-E is often referred to as thermally efficient glass or energy efficient glass.
The coating on Low-E glass is generally applied to both sides of the glass pane and, depending on the specific type of Low-E, reflects anywhere between 50 to 90 percent of infrared light while still allowing visible light to pass through. The coating also causes visible light to scatter, making it difficult for people to see through it from the outside in bright sunlight or at night.
What Are the Benefits of Low-E Glass?
Low-e glass is made up of two panes of glass with a thin layer of metal oxide on one pane and a metal spacer between them, sealed together to form an insulated glass unit. This creates an insulating barrier between the inside and outside of your home, helping to keep heat inside during cold weather and outside when it’s hot. Here are some benefits of low-e windows.
Lower Utility Bills
Low-E window glass leads to more energy efficient windows, and it is a popular choice for homeowners because it helps keep utility bills down. The benefit of this type of glass is that it allows more of the sun’s heat to enter the home while keeping out the UV rays, and it also keeps more of your heat inside the home in the winter.
Fewer Hot Spots
This window glass also helps reduce the number of hot spots inside your home or office building because it reduces the amount of radiant heat coming through windows and skylights during summer months when temperatures outside are high.
Less Glare
The coating on low-e window glass helps reduce glare from the sun, so it’s easier to see through from inside your home. This can be especially helpful if you have an area of your home that gets a lot of sunlight, like an east-facing window.
Protect Your Furniture and Carpet
Low-E glass prevents fading of furniture, carpet, and other items by blocking ultraviolet rays from entering your home. This means that your furnishings will maintain their color longer than they would otherwise.
Increased Home Value
When you have a professional like City Glass install Low-E glass in your windows, your property will increase in value. Value increases because your house becomes energy efficient. This makes your home more valuable in today’s market, where homeowners are looking for ways to save money on their utility bills.
What Types of Low-E Coatings Can You Get?
There are many types of low-emissivity glass coatings that you can choose from. The most common types include:
Solar Control Low-E Coatings
These coatings are used to reduce glare from the sun and reduce heat gain in your home by blocking the heat before it gets inside. Solar control Low-E coatings also help lower your electric bill by reducing the need for air conditioning during hot summer months.
Passive Low-E Coatings
Passive low-e coatings allow some heat form the sun into a home during the winter, while still reflecting the interior long-wave heat energy back inside to reduce heat loss. Passive low-e coatings are used frequently in consistently cold climates.
How To Test Your Glass for E Coating
To test if your glass has a low-emissivity coating, you can use a light meter. Place the light meter on an even surface. Have a partner hold up the glass and move it back and forth underneath the light meter in order to get a reading. If you receive a reading of .25 or higher, then your glass does not have a low-emissivity coating. An alternative method is to find a lit match. Light it and hold it near the glass, but not touching it. Look at the reflection in the glass. If you see a rainbow-like reflection, you have a Low E coating on your window.
Low-E glass works as a kind of sunscreen, blocking solar heat while still allowing in light. It’s absorbed by the glass itself, thus reducing overheating and helping keep your home cooler in summer and warmer in winter. Low-E glass allows more UV light to pass through, decreasing glare and providing clearer vision on sunny days. If you’d like to learn more and install Low-E glass in your home or business, get in touch with us at City Glass Company!
