Benefits of Low-E Glass in Hot Climates

With this week’s 100-plus days in Sacramento, we thought we’d share some insights on energy efficient windows and the benefits of installing Low-E dual pane windows in your home.

We certainly live in a time of quickly evolving technology and glass has not been left out of this cycle! The introduction of coatings on glass in dual pane units has changed the efficiency capabilities of windows. LowE2 glass* has a thin coating on the inside of a dual pane unit that reflects energy and HEAT! This serves to reflect the heat back into the house in the winter and back out of the house in the summer. To quote Vitro Architectural Glass, that manufacturers this glass: “To use a simple analogy, low-e glass works the same way as a thermos. A thermos has a silver lining, which reflects the temperature of the drink it contains. The temperature is maintained because of the constant reflection that occurs, as well as the insulating benefits that the air space provides between the inner and outer shells of the thermos, similar to an insulating glass unit. ”

Standard Low E2 glass has been in most new windows since the early 2000’s. In the last few years, the next generation of Low E or Low E3, which goes by many different names based on the manufacturer, is even more efficient at keeping the heat out in the summer, which is the most relevant to us in the valley! For instance, Solarban 70, a form of Low E3, when installed in your dual pane windows is just as efficient as a sunscreen and gives you much better visibility!

Inquire today about installing new windows with energy efficient Low-E windows. If you already have dual pane windows with clear glass, we can change the glass to LowiE to make them more efficient for you!
*LowE2 = 2nd generation of Low Emissivity glass