How does Pilkington K Glass™ work?

You’re probably wondering how a microscopic coating on a pane of glass can make such a big difference to its performance. This is how it works.

The glass in your windows absorb heat then radiates it again on the colder, outside, surface. Pilkington K Glass™ has what is called a low emissivity coating on the surface that faces into the air gap of the double glazing unit.

Low emissivity means the coating is a poor radiator. The heat absortbed by the coated glass is inhibited from radiating across the air gap and then from the outer pane to the cold outside world. Instead the heat is reflected back into the room buy the coating, which works in a similar way to a sheet of reflecting foil placed behind a central heating radiator bouncing the heat back into the room.

• The ideal choice to satisfy the latest Government legislation demanding reduced energy consumption.
• Proven to meet all the latest Building Regulations.
• Makes double glazing as effective as triple glazing.
• Allows you to stay comfortable at a lower thermostat setting, so you save on your heating bills.
• Reduces unsightly internal condensation.
• Allows you to increase the glazed area of a building without increasing heat loss.

Helping to meet the latest Building Regulations.

Changes to the Government Building Regulations (Part L in England and Wales and Parts J&A in Scotland) aim to improve the thermal efficiency of all buildings, and set out mandatory requirements for any replacement windows and windows in new structures.

With Pilkington K Glass™ incorporated into a suitable insulation unit, you can be sure your windows easily meet both these standards.

Apperance.
Pilkington K Glass™ has high light transmission and appears virtually the same as clear float glass. However, in rare instances of strong oblique lighting, the coating may be seen as transparent film. This is simply a transient visual effect, which can be considered positive evidence of the coated surface being present.

Further evidence of the coating’s presence is through the very minor effect is has on white light transmission. This effect is so small as to be generally unnoticeable. However, when a light coloured object or material is in close proximity of the glazing, dependent on local circumstances and conditions, a slight darkening can be noticed.

Because Pilkington K Glass™ is so neutral in appearance, it is recommended that its presence in a double glazing unit is confirmed on installation.

Every genuine piece of Pilkington K Glass™ carries the ‘OK’ sticker – but its presence can also be confirmed by the use of a coating detector which unit manufacturers or installers should have available.

In certain extreme environmental conditions, low emissivity glass might increase external condensation.

What Makes Pilkington K Glass™ the ideal solution?

The basic thinking behind the new Building Regulations is that by using less heat to keep your home warm, less energy needs to be produced – thus lowering the overall levels of greenhouse gases.

Pilkington K Glass™ keeps your home warmer by reflecting the heat from inside back into the room, rather than letting it escape. And while that has positive benefits for the environment, it also has great benefits for you.

Save on your heating bill.
Pilkington K Glass™ not only saves energy and vital natural resources, but also saves you a great deal of money over the long term. Its unique properties and superior insulation keep your home warmer, which means you can turn down your thermostat and still remain just as comfortable – resulting in even greater savings on your heating bill.

In fact, statistics show that if all the single glazed buildings in the United Kingdom had double glazing units with Pilkington K Glass™, it would save £600 million worth of energy per year.

So to be sure you have glazing to the standards the Government insists upon, look for the ‘OK’ symbol of Pilkington K Glass™ it’s the easy way to stamp out wasted energy.

Why the Government insists you have energy efficient glass.

In recent yeas, a great deal of importance has been placed on how man is damaging the environment and in particular the harmful effects of ‘greenhouse’ gases.

By agreeing to the Kyoto Treaty, the Government has committed to take steps to reduce the amount of these gases the UK produces. One of the measures introduced to meet the targets has been a change to the Building Regulations, setting out strict energy efficiency requirements for buildings. Known as ‘Part L’ in England and Wales and ‘Parts J & A’ in Scotland, the new regulations will affect any replacement windows and windows in new structures fitted after April 2002. Similar changes are proposed for Ireland, which may come into effect from mid 2002.

To meet these new Government regulations, windows must incorporate a ‘low emissivity’ glass such as Pilkington K Glass™ which has been specifically designed to reflect heat back into the building and greatly improve its thermal efficiency.