Viracon, the US“ leading single-source architectural glass fabricator, has introduced VUE-40, a new high-performance glass coating for insulating glass that, it says, strikes an ideal balance between…
Viracon, the US“ leading single-source architectural glass fabricator, has introduced VUE-40, a new high-performance glass coating for insulating glass that, it says, strikes an ideal balance between light, comfort, solar performance and sustainability. We spend a lot of time talking with architects and building owners. What we have been hearing is the desire for glass that balances light transmittance with solar performance, says Don McCann, architectural design manager at Viracon. People like buildings with a lot of natural light but we need to be able to balance the visible light transmittance with the size of glass units. VUE-40 helps architects design spaces with the right amount of light for maximum performance and occupant comfort. The new VUE-40 coating provides ample daylight while reducing potential glare, offering both low interior and exterior reflectance. This allows buildings to have a high window-to-wall ratio by right-sizing the visible light transmittance of the glass, rather than reducing glass usage. The coating also offers a lower ultraviolet (UV) transmittance compared to other high-performance coatings. However, the real benefit is the coating“s solar performance. VUE-40 reflects both heat and light entering a space, which can reduce up-front heating and cooling system costs and cut ongoing peak electric and cooling loads. The glass meets all requirements for all climate zones related to energy codes for LEED v.3, Energy & Atmosphere Prerequisite 2. It also exceeds the standard for sustainable design based on ASHRAE 90.1 2007 requirements by 10%. A clear insulating glass unit with the VUE-40 coating exceeds Department of Energy (DOE) standards for spectrally selective glass with a superior Light to Solar Gain (LSG) ratio of 1.82. These performance benefits come wrapped in a subtle blue-grey hue designers have asked for. The coating is applied after heat treating, which augments flatness compared to architectural glass that is heat treated after the coating application. The coating is also exceptionally versatile. VUE-40 can be applied to various tinted substrates to further improve solar performance and glare reduction or be applied to thicker glass substrates to reduce visual distortion. It can also be used on the same surface as silkscreen to further improve the overall solar performance and glare reduction. Viracon produces high-performance glass products, including tempered, laminated, insulating, silk-screened and high-performance coatings, for North American and international markets. The company is a subsidiary of Apogee Enterprises, Inc.