Southwall, Pleotint launch IG combining suspended film and sunlight responsive glazing technologies

Southwall Technologies Inc. and Pleotint LLC announced, Sept. 27, the world's first installation of high-performance insulating glasscombining Southwall's Heat Mirror suspended-film technology with Pleotint's Sunlight Responsive Thermochromic technology. Manufactured by Southwall Insulating Glass and installed at Pleotint's corporate headquarters in West Olive, Mich., the product delivers increased energy savings by reducing solar heat gain and glare during peak electrical usage hours, provides optimal daylighting during non-peak hours, and delivers maximum thermal insulation 24 hours a day, according to a same-day Southwall release.

The combined solution provides center-of-glass insulating performance of 0.13 (R8) with Argon gas fill. In addition, visible light transmission and solar heat gain coefficient adaptively vary based on sun exposure from 44 percent to below 10 percent and from 0.28 percent down to 0.12 percent, respectively. While not part of the initial product configuration, options such as a second Heat Mirror film, Krypton gas, or both, could be used to further improve center of glass insulating performance below 0.10 (R10), according to the release.

"Dynamic heat gain management and high thermal insulation are complementary solutions," said Dennis Capovilla, CEO of Southwall Technologies, in the release. "We are excited about our work with Pleotint to combine two technologies and deliver the industry's most complete glazing solution."