The glazing industry has evolved to provide bigger and smarter window assemblies with more robust thermal performance, according to an article from Building Operating Management on the FacilitiesNet website.
The size of individual panes of glass has been increasing over the years and larger panes could help improve thermal performance at the envelope.
"A lot of time the weak point in a glazed curtain wall is where the frames are, along the edge of the glass, whereas the center of glass achieves a better U value," according to Ryan Hoffman, manager of client development with Viracon. "By using a larger lite of glass, you have less frame, so less weak points."
Also, some manufacturers have improved the thermal performance of their window units by changing the material of their spacers to be less conductive than traditional aluminum or steel.
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