The growing prominence of performance indicators that directly evaluate sustainability as key to ethical construction design drives the need to understand the carbon contribution of all facade components. Improving insulation performances, product longevity and reducing energy consumption, places clear demands on the performance development of facade components. This is no more important than in insulating laminated glass used in facade applications. Improving performance is also coupled with a need to drive down the operational carbon generated by the production of components.
The contribution of high performance reactive warm edge spacers clearly demonstrates how insulating glass units that combine high thermal efficiency with extended longevity can offset the carbon impact of using glass even in the most expansive use of glass in structures. These performances should be achievable with the most complex and demanding of geometry to ensure the flexibility of design and contribute to the mechanical stability of the entire facade system.
Completing the holistic approach to effecient and sustainable insulated and laminated glass will require a focus on the development of low carbon manufacturing practices. The use of passive curing interlayer materials for glass lamination demonstrates how this can be achieved.
