Windows 101

What is Low E glass?

Low-E glass stands for low emissivity glass. Simply put, it is an insulating glass that improves energy efficiency by reducing the transfer of heat or cold through windows. In other words, it helps to keep your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

Low-E glass is ideal for our west coast lifestyle, as it is most efficient in climates where both heating and cooling are required. In typical insulated glazing, the low-e coating is on one of the interior faces of the glass. A simple low-e coating helps to reduce heat-loss but allows the room to be warmed by any sunshine. The way that it works is similar to the greenhouse effect – where short wavelength radiation is transmitted through the pane, but longer wavelength radiation is reflected. However, Low-e glass reflects the radiation rather than absorbing it, improving performance compared to the glass in a simple greenhouse.

How do argon gas fills work?

Argon is a colourless, odourless, non-flammable, non-reactive, inert gas. Argon gas fills are used to reduce heat loss in windows by slowing convection inside the air space. Argon gas is cost-efficient and works best in conjunction with Low-e coated glazing.

While air itself is a good insulator, filling the gap between the glass panes with a low-conductivity gas like argon will greatly improve window performance by reducing conductive and convective heat transfers. It is the most commonly used gas fill because of its excellent thermal performance and heat cost-savings.