Glass and glazing solutions

This community provides a venue for exchanging information on the energy saving properties of glass products and technologies used in windows, roof-windows, facade and doors as part of the building envelope. It also adresses glass contribution to solar-energy equipment such as solar-thermal, photovoltaic and building integrated photovoltaic. It aims to raise decision-makers', architects', constructors' and users' awareness of the energy savings contribution of the state-of-the-art glazing products for buildings.

Modern glazing technologies help reducing the need for heating and cooling in buildings both by way of their insulation and solar-heat gain properties. It thereby reduces energy consumption, associated CO2 emissions and offer a tremendous potential for energy savings in the building sector.

The recast EPBD sets out an ambitious framework for increasing building energy efficiency. Some of its requirements such as those on zero-energy buildings, meeting cost-optimal energy performance levels for the renovation of buildings and the retrofitting of buildings components could possibly impact greatly the use of glass products. Stakeholders and professionals therefore need to understand how to use glass optimally and to exchange knowledge and best practices on the different glass technologies (highly insulating glass, solar control glass), the different applications (double-glazing, triple glazing) and their rationale use depending on climates and outdoor conditions.

Given that most European buildings are still equipped with inefficient glazing, either single-glazed windows or poorly insulating double-glazing, improving the energy efficiency of Europe's buildings will require upgrading Europe's windows to today's standards. This community is open to anyone interested in buildings thermal comfort, solar-energy and more specifically the contribution of glass products to energy efficient and nearly-zero energy buildings, wishing to share, knowledge, cases and best practices.