PPG introduces high-performance SOLARBAN 80 OPTIBLUE glass
New glass combines energy performance with unique metallic gray-green aesthetic
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| Solarban 80 Optiblue glass (left) displays a warmer, more neutral-gray interior appearance than Solarban 80 glass made using conventional clear glass (right). In addition to providing exceptional outdoor views, Solarban 80 Optiblue glass can help building owners reduce artificial cooling and lighting costs and requirements, as well as energy-related carbon-dioxide emissions. |
PITTSBURGH, Nov. 26, 2007 – PPG Industries (NYSE:PPG) has introduced a new high-performance glass combining the industry-leading solar control performance of
Solarban 80 low-emissivity (low-E) glass with the company’s new blue-green
Optiblue glass. The result is an architectural glass with a metallic gray-green exterior tint and a neutral gray interior appearance.
In addition to its unique aesthetics,
Solarban 80
Optiblue glass offers superior energy performance. In a standard one-inch insulating glass unit,
Solarban 80
Optiblue glass produces a solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) of 0.23 and visible light transmittance (VLT) of 34 percent. This results in a light-to-solar gain (LSG) ratio of 1.48, which far exceeds the U.S. Department of Energy’s 1.25 LSG threshold for spectrally selective glass.
When compared to commonly specified dual-pane tinted glass, these performance characteristics create significant energy savings for building owners and architects. In a prototypical glass-walled, eight-story office building in Houston, studies showed that substituting
Solarban 80 clear glass in a one-inch insulating glass unit for standard dual-pane tinted glass can produce energy savings of more than $106,000 per year (based on 2006 energy prices). Energy savings are greater with
Solarban 80
Optiblue glass, because its light blue-green tint makes it slightly more effective at blocking heat.
Similarly, because buildings glazed with
Solarban 80 clear glass require less cooling capacity than those with dual-pane tinted glass, owners and architects can reduce their initial investment in HVAC equipment by nearly $400,000. Specifying
Solarban 80
Optiblue glass instead of
Solarban 80 clear glass even further reduces HVAC requirements and increases savings.
Using
Solarban 80
Optiblue glass yields dramatic environmental benefits as well. Studies showed that using
Solarban 80 clear glass instead of dual-pane tinted glass in the same Houston office building could reduce carbon emissions from the structure by 530 tons per year. Over a 40-year building life span, carbon-emission reductions could total 21,320 tons – equivalent to removing about 4,200 passenger cars from the road each year. Carbon-emission reductions from this building also would trend higher with
Solarban 80
Optiblue glass, again because of its slightly enhanced performance characteristics.
These energy and equipment savings – and their associated reductions in carbon emissions – make
Solarban 80
Optiblue glass ideal for supporting LEED principles.
Like all glasses in the
Solarban glass family, MSVD sputter-coated
Solarban 80
Optiblue glass is available through members of the PPG Certified Fabricator Program (PPG/CFP) network. The glass can be annealed, heat-strengthened or tempered.
For more information about
Solarban 80
Optiblue glass, or any PPG high-performance glazing product, visit
www.ppgideascapes.com or call 1-888-PPG-IDEA.
About PPGPittsburgh-based PPG is a global supplier of paints, coatings, chemicals, optical products, specialty materials, glass and fiber glass. The company employs more than 30,000 people and has 125 manufacturing facilities and equity affiliates in more than 20 countries. PPG shares are traded on the New York stock exchange (symbol: PPG). For more information, visit
www.ppg.com.
Optiblue and Solarban are trademarks of PPG Industries.
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Contact:Robert J. Struble
PPG Performance Glazings
412-820-8138
rstruble@ppg.com