Glass Growth in Buildings
The Float Process provides the building industry with very large glass plates of great perfection, not just in flatness but in freedom from optical distortion and flaws. The use of glass in refurbishment and upgrading ensures that benefits provided by new products, such as reduced energy costs, are constantly extended to existing buildings.
Glass is an integral building material for most construction projects. Both new buildings and the refurbishment of existing glazing call for large quantities of glass products. Increasingly, architects seek to bring the outside into the interior of buildings by maximising natural daylight. This is achieved through the use of larger glazed areas in façades and roofs, and through entirely glazed façades where the glass is a structural component of the building.
Refurbishment of buildings accounts for around 40 per cent of glass consumption worldwide. In mature markets, windows in residential buildings are replaced every ten to twenty years.
Energy saving is a key driver. Kyoto CO2 targets have driven tougher legislation for energy-saving glass and made insulated glazing units mandatory in many parts of Europe. This has now developed further into legislation requiring coated ‘low-e’ glasses that are particularly energy efficient.
The development of energy-saving and solar control products has allowed architects to use large areas of glass in buildings without significant heat loss or solar gain.