In the world of construction, every little detail matters and that includes the quality of materials, workmanship and the level of insulation for lower energy consumption. One thing you may not know is the significant difference window design can have. In this article, we take a closer look at a triple-pane window design from the 1990s that helped improve urban efficiency by some margin.

How To Better Insulate Buildings With Triple-Pane Window Design

Did you know that some window designs can lower energy consumption within building structures by 30% or more? One such example is a thermal triple-pane window that generates approximately 36% less heat loss than standard window designs during winter. They also generate about 26% less heat gain during the warmer summer months.

According to Scientific American, a 1990s innovation by researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory conceived this “thin triple-pane” glass window. They believed it could cut the annual energy use for heating buildings by 39% while reducing the overall spend on air conditioning by up to 28%.

The team of scientists produced this efficient triple-pane window design by adding a thin layer of glass in the middle and sealing it with an inert gas. This resulted in a window that was lighter but provided much-improved insulation regardless of the weather.

Developing A Window Design Ahead Of Its Time

This was a big breakthrough to reduce emissions but unlike European window manufacturers who used this concept, American window manufacturers found the invention too expensive at the time. This led the Berkeley team to give up on their research.

However, in 2003, they decided to try and promote their super-insulating windows once more. This time they had the help of companies that make mobile phones and televisions. They managed to significantly reduce the price of ultra-thin glass since it was a requirement in their production methods. In 2019 the Berkeley team was ready to show their invention to U.S. window manufacturers with much success.

Paving The Way For A More Sustainable Future

The Alpen High-Performance Products Inc. of Louisville, Colorado was a company already working on a three-pane window design. However, Berkeley’s prototype inspired them to upgrade their concept which resulted in a much more advanced efficient window. This was a tremendous break for the Berkeley team as by the summer of 2019, they received a grant from the California Energy Commission. They were asked to replace all the double-pane windows in new model homes in Fresno. This quickly led to a second grant of $1.85 million to evaluate the economic impact of triple-pane window designs in three low-income communities.

How Does The Triple-Pane Window Design Work?

As previously mentioned, triple pane windows are typically made from three panels of glass separated by air pockets. The outer window has two panes of glass where an argon gas (a noble gas) fills the space between them. The middle window fits in between the two panes and usually has three layers, i.e. two low-emissivity (low-e) coatings and one sheet of glass.

Triple-Pane Window Design Vs Standard Windows

A study by Energy Efficient Windows Collaborative revealed some interesting data on how much more effective a triple-pane window design can be compared to standard windows:

• Save up to 8% on heating costs per window for every degree between outside air temperature and room temperature
• Save up to 5% on cooling costs per window for every degree between inside air temperature and room temperature

This is due to heat gain or loss as windows are one of the biggest factors in the energy consumption of buildings. Significantly reducing loss or gain, could result in much lower energy use overall. Another benefit of a triple-pane window design is that it acts as soundproofing which is particularly useful in some office buildings.

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Article by Max Berovich, owner of window installation company Glass Guru LLC in Seattle, WA.