The typical home loses 30% of its heat through windows, so highly insulating windows are an energy efficiency option with a disproportionately large benefit. Energy losses related to windows alone account for as much as 25% of total U.S. natural gas usage. Well-insulated walls deliver R-12 to R-20 insulation, 3 to 5 times less heat loss than triple glazed windows.
Why can't windows be as warm as a wall? A new Energy Star standard, which raised the window insulation hurdle to R-3.7, went into effect for the Northern region of the U.S. in 2016. One way for the window industry to meet the new standard is to migrate to triple glazed windows, which are 50% thicker, 50% heavier, and 50% more expensive to make than current dual pane, argon-filled glazing.
The center pane is also at risk of spontaneous cracking due to uneven heating in the hot sun. Windows are a commodity. Window makers and other players in the glass supply chain want something new to differentiate their products and boost their slim margins.
Why can't windows be as warm as a wall? A new Energy Star standard, which raised the window insulation hurdle to R-3.7, went into effect for the Northern region of the U.S. in 2016. One way for the window industry to meet the new standard is to migrate to triple glazed windows, which are 50% thicker, 50% heavier, and 50% more expensive to make than current dual pane, argon-filled glazing.
The center pane is also at risk of spontaneous cracking due to uneven heating in the hot sun. Windows are a commodity. Window makers and other players in the glass supply chain want something new to differentiate their products and boost their slim margins.
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PETER PETIT founded V-Glass in 2008 with the mission to develop affordable vacuum insulated window glass.
After 30 years of R&D management experience in industry, he decided to become an entrepreneur to develop energy-saving technologies with the potential for high impact.
V-Glass has been awarded grants totaling over $4.0 million, and in-kind contributions of free glass and life testing services from an industry partner, office space in a local incubator, and factory space from a local automation company.
After 30 years of R&D management experience in industry, he decided to become an entrepreneur to develop energy-saving technologies with the potential for high impact.
V-Glass has been awarded grants totaling over $4.0 million, and in-kind contributions of free glass and life testing services from an industry partner, office space in a local incubator, and factory space from a local automation company.
Located in Milwaukee County Research Park, the Technology Innovation Center is a start-up business incubator.
This historic building, built in 1913 as a tuberculosis sanatorium, has over 1,000 single pane windows.
Temperature profiles were collected on all four window types every 5 minutes, 24/7.
Field testing ended at this site in 2018 and provided important data for V-Glass's development efforts.
This historic building, built in 1913 as a tuberculosis sanatorium, has over 1,000 single pane windows.
Temperature profiles were collected on all four window types every 5 minutes, 24/7.
Field testing ended at this site in 2018 and provided important data for V-Glass's development efforts.
A prototype V-Glass vacuum window was installed in the testing window of Room 104 of the Technology Innovation Center building.
This prototype was "actively pumped", that is, it was connected to a vacuum pump.
When the pump was off, there was no vacuum between the panes, but with the pump on, almost all the gas molecules in the space between the panes were removed, creating a substantial vacuum.
The chart above shows temperature data collected by a V-Glass-designed data acquisition system.
One data point is taken every 5 minutes.
This prototype was "actively pumped", that is, it was connected to a vacuum pump.
When the pump was off, there was no vacuum between the panes, but with the pump on, almost all the gas molecules in the space between the panes were removed, creating a substantial vacuum.
The chart above shows temperature data collected by a V-Glass-designed data acquisition system.
One data point is taken every 5 minutes.
The latter will result in a higher Center-of-Glass R-value, and will retain a higher whole window R-value if the VIG vacuum were to degrade prematurely.
Whole-Window R-Value - Do we want to use more expensive highly-insulating frame materials, like foam-filled fiberglass, to achieve a Whole-Window R-Value approaching R-10, or less expensive, less insulating materials, like wood or vinyl, and accept a lower R-Value?
What will the resulting whole window R-Value be (thermal modeling)?
Will my outside testing vendors have the equipment to accurately measure such high whole-window R-Values?
Whole-Window R-Value - Do we want to use more expensive highly-insulating frame materials, like foam-filled fiberglass, to achieve a Whole-Window R-Value approaching R-10, or less expensive, less insulating materials, like wood or vinyl, and accept a lower R-Value?
What will the resulting whole window R-Value be (thermal modeling)?
Will my outside testing vendors have the equipment to accurately measure such high whole-window R-Values?
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