Ausfenex, held 21-23 September in Queensland, Australia, brought together members of the Australian Glass & Glazing Association and the Australian Window Association, with more than 500 participants from the two associations taking part in the event at the Jupiters Hotel & Casino on the Gold Coast in Queensland.
Members of the Australian Glass & Glazing Association and the Australian Window Association gathered 21-23 September in Queensland, Australia, at Ausfenex, a joint meeting of both associations.
Australia’s glass and fenestration industry is very similar to that of the US, with energy-efficient glazing being just as important. And this edition of Ausfenex covered a range of topics, from energy efficiency to “cyclones” and windows. More than 500 participants from the two associations took part in the event at the Jupiters Hotel & Casino on the Gold Coast in Queensland.
The conference opened 22 September with a presentation from Jorma Vitkala, GPD (Glass Performance Days) chairman, who spoke on “Worldwide Glass & Window Trends.” Vitkala covered a range of industry changes, ranging from international business practices to solar glazing.
He also talked about a number of new technologies for architectural glass, such as media façades. “The whole façade is like one big TV screen,” he said, explaining that these are constructed with LEDs inside a glass unit. “Another newcomer in LED technology is using it to change the colour of glass.”
Also talking about colour, Vitkala said architects use PVB laminated glass to create colourful façades that are also constructed as safety glass.
Glazed balconies, which are commonly used in Australia, as well as Scandinavia, are also growing in popularity.
Structural engineering projects are seeing increasing use and Vitkala showed a few examples of such projects, including images of the Apple stores, which are well known worldwide for their use of glass as a structural element.
Talking further about glazing trends, Vitkala noted that energy-saving façades are becoming increasingly important, as requirements for solar control coatings are increasing. In fact, architectural requirements are seeking to maximize visible transmission and minimize energy transmission into the interior of the building.
As Vitkala explained, when glass is used in a façade it must be thought of as a thermal material. “Highly effective solar control can minimize AC use,” he said.
Other growing trends he touched on double-skin façades, which have been in use in Europe for some time; printing on glass, which can also help with solar control; electrochromic glazing; and free-form architecture.
Discussing the future of the glazing industry, Vitkala pointed out that solar glazing is growing rapidly; 900 million sq.m. of glass are expected to be used in solar applications by 2020. He added that building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) is the fastest growing area of solar glazing: “BIPV is very young, but fast growing,” said Vitkala. “There are a lot of opportunities for all of us.”