Architectural measures intended to optimize hygrothermal comfort

Key contribution

Thanks to its broad and diversified range of high-performance glazing and commitment to optimizing energy efficiency, Saint-Gobain Glass improves thermal insulation throughout each season, especially during hot humid climates. It forms a unique envelope that helps to prevent any heat loss. All in all, a simple, ecological, and high-quality insulated glazing, eliminates any thermal bridges and significantly increases acoustic and hygrothermal comfort.

Aim

To encourage the optimization of hygrothermal comfort through architectural measures.

Detailed requirement

Improving the building’s ability to provide satisfying hygrothermal comfort conditions, grouping together rooms of identical hygrothermal demand and controlling discomfort.

Our contribution

Glazing offers a wide range of possibilities to establish optimal thermal comfort. Here are the two major glazing characteristics that are essential in thermal comfort criteria:

The thermal insulation of the glazing (also called the “Ug value”) that defines the heat loss; and
The solar factor (also known as the “g value”) that corresponds to the percentage of total solar radiant heat energy transmitted through the glazing.

Naturally, thermal comfort will depend on the outdoor conditions and customers’ preferences but for heating dominant climates, high-performance insulation glass provides an excellent Ug value, and decreases heat loss to a minimum.

Mainly for cooling dominant climates, selectivity plays an important role. Selectivity is defined by the light transmission divided by the g value (LT/g) and corresponds to how effective glazing is when it comes to blocking heat and letting in sunlight.

Glazing for façades and windows needs to be designed keeping in mind, the climatic conditions and by defining the best match between all the characteristics.

At Saint-Gobain, we offer three options for optimal thermal comfort:

1. Optimized thermal insulation: Optimization in terms of thermal comfort comes from the perfect match between the thermal insulation’s Ug value and the solar factors, which depends on the context of the use of glazing, i.e. the geometry, the geographical localization of the building, the window size and orientation, and customers’ preferences.

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2. Active solution: In extreme weather conditions, EGLA-S, an integrated and invisible heating glass solution contributes to indoor thermal comfort by controlling the radiant heat.

3. Better spacer: A better spacer limits heat loss when the glass is mounted in double or triple glazing. The high performing, warm edge spacer bar, such as Swisspacer®, improves the Ug value (noted Uw for a window) for better insulation.