WITH rising temperatures around the globe affecting energy use, energy costs hitting the roof and conservation high on the global agenda, the heat is on the construction sector to choose glass varieties with a particularly low-E (emissivity) quotient, says Emirates Glass, a key local manufacturer of sustainable glass and glazing products.

The Dubai-based company offers a solution with its EmiCool E-Lite series, a coloured post temperable solar control coating, which when applied to clear glass is claimed to have exceptionally low emissivity properties.

Ziad Yazbeck, senior vice-president for sales and marketing at Glass, the holding company that oversees Emirates Glass, says: “An inseparable element of modern architecture, glass is increasingly being used in the construction of homes and offices. Whether it covers a small part of the building or the whole expanse, the natural characteristics of glass have a massive impact on the sustainability of the structure.”

Hence, builders and architects are looking for glass solutions that guarantee low emissivity.

He says low-E glass can offer the desired aesthetics, without compromising on sustainable building standards.

“Clear glazing with low-E coating can reduce emissivity by over 90 per cent. The E-Lite series is manufactured on the Terra-G coating line at the Emirates Glass production facility in Dubai. This type of glass boosts light transmission and has extraordinary reflective properties that consequentially cut the building’s energy costs without deviating from the architect’s aspiration,” adds Yazbeck.

Low-E glass improves the insulating value of the window through a thin coating that transmits visible light but reflects longer wavelength infrared light.

“Allowing natural daylight into the building, the E-Lite series allows comparatively high light transmission through the glass, irrespective of the coating variety. Proportionally, this form of glazing trumps heat gain through low emissivity properties,” Yazbeck points out.

Emirates Glass’ manufacturing facility.

The solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC), as well as overall heat transfer coefficient (U) should be considered while evaluating low-E glass performance, he explains. “Solar energy can be beneficial or unfavourable for the building, depending on the intensity of the sunlight. Low-E glass coatings can satisfactorily affect the SHGC and U coefficient of the building.”

The E-Lite series, Yazbeck says, has a visible light transmission that ranges from 14 to 38 per cent, with U-values as low as 1.43 W per sq m K and SHGC values equivalent to 12.

Functioning in insulated glass units, this glass type can be tempered, laminated, and double glazed. Insulated glass units allow augmentation for acoustics and safety and further thermal insulation features.

“EmiCool E-Lite provides energy-efficient glass with an assured colour consistency and exceptional value performance. With aesthetics in place, low-E glass offers an easy option for architects to plan energy-efficient buildings for residential and commercial use,” says Yazbeck.

A number of new high-rise structures in the region are turning to low-E glazing options in order to reduce the impact of direct sunlight on energy consumption and costs. Emirates Glass has supplied E-Lite products to many projects across the GCC, including Al Jawhara Tower in Jeddah and Jabal Omar in Makkah, Saudi Arabia; Falcon Tower in Doha, Qatar; as well as Madison Residence, Al Bareeq Tower and Symphony Tower in Dubai, UAE.

Emirates Glass offers designers and processors a wide range of sizes on clear glass readily available from stock. “The E-Lite series also offers a broad spectrum of external colours that give a natural interior appearance. The product is available in varying thicknesses of 4 mm, 6 mm, 8 mm, 10 mm and 12 mm,” says Yazbeck.

Emirates Glass is amongst four companies – the others being Emirates Float Glass, Lumiglass Industries and Saudi American Glass Company – overseen by the holding company Glass, the first glass holding company in the Middle East launched by Dubai Investments to meet the growing needs of the regional glass industry.

Dubai Investments (DI), meanwhile, is a world-class company with a proven track record of secure and profitable investments within the UAE and Middle East region.