AGC releases Attoch™ easy-installation Ecoglass, ideal for energy-saving renovations of office buildings and stores, reducing annual energy use for air-conditioning by around 30%.
AGC has announced that it will release Attoch™, an Ecoglass product that is ideal for energy-saving window renovations of office buildings and stores, in October 2012. This product converts an existing windowpane into Ecoglass simply by applying low-E glass to the inside of the window. Attoch will significantly improve the energy-saving performance of office buildings, in which installing replacement Ecoglass products has been difficult.
Amid tight energy supply conditions triggered by the Great East Japan Earthquake last year, there has been a rapidly increasing need for energy-saving window renovations. In many houses, existing glass has been replaced with highly energy-efficient Ecoglass, or double-glazed windows have been installed to save electricity. However, in most office buildings and stores that have fixed windows, energy-saving measures are usually limited to applying solar control films to existing windowpanes, because glass replacement requires scaffolding and other extensive work, or because there is no space to install double-glazed windows.
While solar control films effectively keep out heat in summer, many of them are not effective in protecting from cold weather in winter. As a result, AGC has developed Attoch, a product that converts windows into high thermal insulation Ecoglass windows by attaching low-E glass to the inside of an existing window. This new product is therefore an effective tool to combat heat in summer and cold air in winter, achieving enhanced energy-saving performance throughout the year. Once installed, the product helps to reduce air-conditioning energy use by about 30% a year, cutting air-conditioning costs by about JPY 610,000 a year. No scaffolding is needed, resulting in lower installation costs. Installation takes only 30 to 60 minutes per window. The existing glass continues to be used, and so does not require disposal.
AGC will continue to deliver solutions for environmental and energy issues by launching a wide range of new Ecoglass products onto the market.