Benefits of Performance Glass in Renovation & Restoration
There are more than 4.9 million commercial buildings in the U.S., and altogether these buildings produce an annual utility bill of more than $155 billion—or one-third of all energy produced. Yet, among commercial buildings constructed between 1920 and 1999, less than 13 percent have had their original windows replaced with more energy-efficient, high-performance low-e glass.
Glass Products
Vitro Architectural Glass (formerly PPG Glass) has been a trailblazer in the development of energy-saving architectural glasses. Our high-performance passive and solar control low-e glasses are ideal for renovation because they deliver high visible light transmittance and exceptional solar control, which can significantly reduce the energy needed to heat, cool and light renovated buildings.
Vitro Glass offers an unparalleled array of renovation options for architectural glazing:
- Solarban® R100 glass is a neutral-reflective, low‑e glass that provides significant improvements in solar performance compared to competing products in the same architectural glass category.
- Solarban® 72 glass is a highly transparent and color-neutral glass with minimal sacrifice of solar control performance.
- Solarban® 70 glass (formerly Solarban® 70XL glass) is the industry’s highest-performing solar control low‑e glass.
- Solarban® R67 glass (formerly Solarban® 67 glass) is a solar control low‑e glass offering a crisp, clean and brilliantly clear exterior appearance that “pops.”
- Solarban® 70 Optiblue® glass (formerly Solarban® z75 glass) is a neutral, steel blue‑gray glass that offers superior daylighting and solar control.
- Solarban® 60 Optiblue® glass (formerly Solarban® z50 glass) is a stylish tinted glass that performs up to 30 percent better than similarly tinted solar control low‑e glasses.
- Solarban® 60 glass is the industry’s original clear high-performance solar control low‑e glass.
- Sungate® 400 glass is designed specifically for use in heating-dominated climates to retain solar and furnace heat while providing an exceptionally clear aesthetic.
All of these glasses can be combined with a wide range of tinted and reflective glasses from Vitro Glass to help you maintain the original color of your tinted windows or curtainwalls, while still reaping the benefits of a solar control glass.
New Technologies Maximize Energy Savings
The majority of buildings in need of renovation were built 20 to 40 years ago, when the use of single-pane monolithic glass was commonplace. The energy-saving potential of today’s advanced architectural glazings can reach well into the millions of dollars.
For example, one recent study modeled the energy performance of two standard eight-story office buildings in three warm-weather cities. One prototype was glazed with Solarban® 70 glass, a solar control low‑e glass by Vitro Glass. The other was constructed with green-tinted, ¼-inch monolithic glass. Results showed the building glazed with Solarban® 70 glass cost almost $100,000 less per year to cool, resulting in an annual savings of approximately 15 percent. Over the course of a 20- to 40-year renovation cycle, savings could add up to millions of dollars. HVAC equipment requirements for the same building also were diminished by more than $500,000, a savings of at least 25 percent.
Along with the Solarban® family of solar control low‑e glasses, Vitro Glass offers Starphire Ultra-Clear® glass, Sungate® 400 passive low‑e glass and two types of performance-tinted glasses inspired by nature and the ocean. These products can be combined in countless configurations to deliver the energy-saving performance building owners demand and the appearance options they desire.
Renovate Window Retrofit Systems Using Solarban® Solar Control Low‑e Glasses
The Solarban® family of solar control low‑e glasses is part of a revolutionary window retrofitting system called Renovate by Berkowitz (RbB).