Did you know that heat coming into your building through windows in the summer and heat escaping through the windows in the colder months accounts for 25-30% of your building’s energy use?
That’s why the quality of your windows plays such an important role in your energy bill. In commercial buildings, especially, you want to consider not just exterior windows, but internal glass such as partitions, walls, and doors within the building. These areas transfer light and heat, which can be beneficial to create an open feel to the office space while blocking sound to help workers focus. But in the summer, glass panels and glass doors that transmit sunlight can increase building cooling costs.
Several window treatment options exist to aid in temperature control in commercial buildings. The type of windows you use can make a significant difference in how much heat your building releases in the winter and how much heat your building lets in and transmits across spaces during hot months.
One option is to use a double glazed window technique. What exactly is double glazed glass for commercial properties and how does it compare to other glazes? Let’s explore the costs of double glazed glass for commercial buildings as well as the long-term benefits of double glazing.
What is Double Glazed Glass for Commercial Properties?
Double glazed windows are made from two sheets of glass, placed with space in between the two panes. Sometimes, other transparent materials are used, such as acrylic, which goes by the brand name of Plexiglas, or polycarbonate, which is Lexan. Whatever the material, the separation of the two panes reduces heat transfer. Sometimes, for even greater efficiency, inert gasses like argon or krypton are sprayed between the panels to further reduce heat transfer.
Prices for installing double-glazed glass vary. You might expect to pay $30-$35 per square foot of window. But for companies concerned about sustainability, double glazed windows have been an industry standard. Despite the initial upfront costs of installing double glazed windows, the overall energy savings can quickly make up for those initial expenses.
How Much Energy Can You Save with Double Glazed Glass in Winter and Summer?
Double glazed glass offers better heat insulation than a single pane of glass. In fact, a single pane of glass can allow nearly ten times the heat to escape compared to a well-insulated wall. Having double glazed windows can reduce that lost heat substantially. Double-glazed windows have roughly half the heat transfer coefficient of single-paned windows.
One study out of the UK found that double-glazed windows can reduce energy use in commercial buildings by 39% to 53%.
Does Double Glazed Glass Help with LEED Certification?
To qualify for LEED certification in a commercial building, windows and glass cladding solutions must have a minimum level of energy efficiency. The standard double glazed window should meet these minimum requirements. However, if you are searching for LEED certification, you can select glass that can increase your certification points.
LEED does not certify a specific brand of glass, however you can earn LEED certification points by selecting specific glass and glass designs. Double glazed glass can add to the sustainability and indoor environmental qualities categories within LEED certification, as well as many other categories.
Ways To Conserve Energy
Double glazed windows help regulate the transfer of heat from the building to the outdoors. Because double glazed windows can be used throughout a building, these panes also assist with keeping temperatures regulated within a building.
Although windows and glass are an important piece of overall energy efficiency in building operations, there are other small changes you can implement in your commercial buildings to regulate heat transfer and conserve energy.
Ways to save energy include:
- Installing daylight harvesting lights or automatic lights that dim and adjust brightness levels based on the amount of daylight shining in the window.
- Using blinds, like solar blinds, to block sunlight through the building’s windows. Some blinds may have a reflective side that reflects the sunlight shining onto the window.
- Attaching awnings or window coverings to the outside of buildings to block the sun
- Treating windows with a reflective film to block the sunlight.
When building or renovating your commercial properties, every detail can save you money and help promote energy conservation. A large factor in your building’s efficiency can boil down to the glass you install in the windows and throughout the buildings.
Because double glazed windows have become the norm, you can easily find options and local companies to replace or install your windows. Rely on the Monster Commercial to help you find the best solutions in the industry and the contractors in your area for your next commercial building project.