Tag: Architectural Glass Manufacturers

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Here’s the Simplest Way of Determining the Energy Efficiency of Your Building

Times are changing, and so is the environment consciousness level of people. Today, when it comes to architecture and interior design, the facet of energy efficiency is taking a front seat. Home and office owners are beginning to imagine and create functional, future-proof and environment-proof spaces that do not have a high dependency on artificial energy. And, in their mission to reduce the carbon footprint of their buildings, glass plays a huge role since doors, windows and facades are the primary barriers separating the external environment from the internal environment.

Now, the first step towards making your building energy efficient lies in determining its present efficiency. Only then will you be able to select the right glass glazing in accordance with the results of your building’s energy efficiency determination. So, how does a layman do it?
You might imagine that calculating something such as energy efficiency is beyond your expertise and well within the grasp of only a professional architect, engineer, builder, or an interior designer. Yet, there’s an easier, quicker and extremely reliable way out – carrying out a virtual simulation of your building in the palm of your hands.
Being one of the most innovative glass manufacturers and glass suppliers in the country, AIS also offers an interesting portfolio of architectural mobile applications helpful to the layman. One of them is the AIS Glass Simulator – an app that lets you analyse your building for energy efficiency based on a wide range of parameters. Moreover, the app also recommends the best-suited high-performance glass products from AIS’ extensive portfolio depending upon the analysis of your building.
Easy, right?
With such an innovative application on your phone, you can take an informed decision about choosing the right glass glazing for your home or new project by carrying out a quick simulation anywhere, anytime. All you need to do is input a few details about your building, such as location, shape, orientation, wind-load, etc. On the basis of these parameters, the app will scrutinize your building to create an energy performance profile while also suggesting the most apt glass solution to turn your building energy efficient.
Add to that the extensive Product Catalog with different glass types manufactured by AIS and their details, along with a Project Showcase which features many buildings and projects from all over the country which have different AIS glazing installed, and you have the complete package on your fingertips.
Here are all the benefits of the app in brief:
• Easily analyse your building’s energy performance
• Get an intelligent analysis report
• Save time, energy and money spent on finding the right glazing
• Discover the entire high performance energy efficient glass range by AIS – AIS Ecosense
• Visualize how your chosen glass solution will look in real life
Easy-to-use, informative and helpful! Who knew energy simulation of a building could be this fun?

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Breathing Life Back into an Old Office Building: A Case Study on Retrofitting Glass


Architecture, today, is exceeding the limits of imagination with the help of science and technology. Where once glass was a mere brittle material for windows now lies a plethora of possibilities in manufacturing and processing extremely functional glass for sound reduction, security, privacy, aesthetics, and most importantly, heat reduction. But the buck doesn’t stop here.
It is also possible to optimize the dysfunctional glass systems of existing and functioning buildings with a special variant of glass such as the AIS Renew which completely transforms the energy consumption scenario of the space. Retrofitting buildings is a specialty at AIS, and it is precisely what we achieved for the 6-storied office building which is the focus of our case study.
Problem
It is no doubt that solar and thermal control glass products are any architect’s go-to solutions for creating an energy efficient space. And energy efficiency is the primary requirement of an office where creating the most comfortable and sustainable environment for employees is paramount for productivity.
A six-storied office building featuring glazed windows prominently was facing issues due to increased energy consumption. The requirement was to convert the windows into more energy efficient envelopes, thus enabling visual and thermal comfort. However, converting an old/existing building built with a low performance glass by the traditional method of pulling down the existing glass façade and building afresh is very expensive.
Solution

In order to tackle this problem without disturbing and interfering with the day-to-day functioning of the building, the AIS technical team proposed our retrofitting solution, AIS Renew, as part of the AIS 4G solutions. AIS Renew is a unique product which is attached on top of an existing glass window and converts it into an energy saving insulated glass window – all in no time at all.
In order to do this, a particular AIS Renew glass model (Ecosense Exceed as mentioned in the table above) was compared against pared with clear 6 mm glass used in the existing building. An analysis was done on the basis of shade, visible light transmission, solar heat gain coefficient, and U-value.
Further, a building-specific climate simulation was also performed for the existing glass and AIS Renew glass. The results of this analysis are mentioned below.

Results

As is clear from the reference table, AIS Renew with Ecosense Exceed performed better than the clear single glazed units and double glazed units in terms of cooling energy reduction ratio % and radiant temperature.  In brief, selecting AIS Renew for retrofitting would result in:

  1. Reduced solar gain in summer thereby reaching the set temperature sooner, thus reducing the load on AC operation.
  2. Insulation of the building against heat due to its lower U-value by influencing long wave infrared radiation while keeping the space cool in summer and warm in winter.
  3. A shorter payback period compared to extra glass cost which would have been used for replacement.

Thus, with a thoroughly scientific analysis of the retrofit, glass manufacturers like AIS ensure the most ideal retrofitting glass solution for your office building, resulting in substantial energy, cost and time savings.

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The Best Glass Type for Your Swimming Pool Glazing

A swimming pool is always a great addition to any house, and not just because of the fun and relaxation that it has to offer. A well-designed swimming pool can elevate the aesthetics of your house as well, thereby contributing to a rise in the property value.
These days, swimming pools constructed of glass are gaining huge popularity. Despite what people might think, glass is far from a brittle material. With technological processes, various varieties of glass have been produced that offer unmatchable strength, toughness and durability. Additionally, glass can be used to extraordinary effect in order to construct glazing for swimming pools, or turning them into infinity pools where the water flows over the edge, giving the impression of a boundary-less pool.
If you are wondering which type of glass will be suitable for your swimming pool glazing, then the answer is laminated glass. As the name suggests, it consists of three layers: two sheets of glass with a PVB (Polyvinyl butryl) layer sandwiched in between. This architectural glass is carefully crafted to be shatter-proof, and allows the swimming pool walls to handle a large amount of pressure. Let’s take a look at the different varieties of laminated glass on offer:
Glass for Swimming Pool
 

  1. Securityglas

This laminated glass type has specialized PVB plastic interlayers which offer a high degree of intrusion resistance. The lamination doesn’t dampen visibility, and one is able to see through the glass more clearly than ever. It is widely used in roof lights, canopies, windows, overhead glazing, skylights, domes, glass lift walls, and, of course, swimming pool glazed areas.

  1. Valuglas

This is a heat-strengthened laminated glass which provides tremendous structural strength and durability. It is distortion-free, and comes with a 1.14 mm PVB interlayer. Again, it is also used in doors, windows, stairways, roof lights, canopies, and glazing.

  1. Securityplus

This laminated glass type is the strongest of them all, offering up to five times more strength than conventional laminating materials. It employs a reinforced layer of DuPont Sentry Glass TM which lets it provide unbeatable structural stability without much support. It is used to design structures that are hurricane and explosion-resistant, and can tolerate high stress loads. The glass also remains clean and clear despite years of usage.
Always remember to order laminated glass for your swimming pool glazing from recommended architectural glass manufacturers. Designing and constructing a swimming pool for your home is a very critical process, and demands materials of only the highest quality and guarantee.