Italy is a country with highly different environments, ranging from the Alpine areas to those of the southern coastline. These differences do not only regard temperature, but also an environmental con…
Italy is a country with highly different environments, ranging from the Alpine areas to those of the southern coastline. These differences do not only regard temperature, but also an environmental context with all its complexities. The figures in Legal Decree 311 are certainly an invitation to start saving energy, but it is not enough to consider only thermal insulation if we are speaking about living comfort. Today, most low emissivity glass types, if used in double glazing with argon 90%, provide a Ug value between 1.1 and 1.0 W/(mK) and, in extremely different areas, the same type of low-E glass is used. Choosing the correct type of glass to install in residential applications we must bear in mind that other than thermal insulation, we must also consider safety and acoustic insulation, and the solar factor (g) parameter that enables us to understand the characteristics of the glass to control solar irradiation. Assessing a situation in northern Italy we can see that the fundamental role of glass is that of limiting thermal loss during the winter months and possibly to allow the highest amount of light to enter the rooms, thus enabling savings on electricity. On the other hand, the roles of glass in the southern areas of the country are the opposite because low-E glass will need to work above all in the summer, reducing cooling costs, contributing in comfort by limiting irradiation and glare. The position of the coating of the glass will also differ, going from the internal pane of glass for northern, cooler climates, to the external pane for southern Italy. With the aim of always offering the best solutions dedicated to specific needs, AGC has launched its new low-E glass: Planibel Light, which is part of the Group“s low-E product range.