Insulated Glass, often called double

glazing, is a combination of two or

more panes of glass spaced apart
with a spacer bar and hermetically
sealed with a primary and secondary
sealant to form a single unit with one
or more air spaces in between.
Insulated glazing units improve the thermal performance, thus
significantly reducing heating and air-conditioning costs. IG units also
reduce probability of condensation formation on the surface of the glass.
IGU can be a combination of Low-E coatings, tinted glasses, reflective
coatings, silk-screened patterns, laminated glass products and more. A
wide variety of insulating glass configurations are available to satisfy a
variety of performance and aesthetic requirements.

IG units can be fabricated to meet state energy codes, sound control

requirements, impact resistance, bullet resistance, and hurricane & blast
resistance requirements. IG units can be designed to reduce heat loss &
solar heat gain and reduce thermal heat gain entering the building, with a
minimal reduction of visible light transmittance.

Characteristics of Insulated Glazing Units

Thermal Properties: The U value is effectively lowered by insulating

glazing and can be further reduced by filling of inert gases, generally
increasing cavity thickness and using inert gases like Argon or Krypton or
Xenon to further improve thermal insulation
Acoustical insulation: Insulating glazing can reduce noise by about 30dB
(5mm glass- 12mm air gap -5mm glass) and further reduction is obtainable
by using asymmetrical combination and using laminated glazing.
Condensation: IGU reduces the probability of condensation formation
compared to monolithic glass.

Sealing: Two glasses are separated by a spacer which is generally made of

aluminum; primary sealant and secondary sealant are used for air and
water tightness.

Benefits of Insulated Glazing Units Energy Conservation:

The table given below, shows how insulating glass helps in conserving
energy in hot climate, as compared to monolithic glass.

Monolithic glass Insulating

Monolithic glass such as annealed glass is a single glass. Double g
It gets heated directly by sunlight. Double g
When air conditioner is used inside the building, the temperature difference between the inside When air
and outside the building is very high. very less.
There is only a thin glass barrier to prevent the outside heat from coming in - resulting in Due to co
excessive loss of energy. inside fro
Perfect Transparency:

Insulated glass units help in reducing the incidence of condensation on the

warm air side and brings about transparency. IG can be used in larger
glazed areas without increasing energy consumption and still bring about
perfect transparency. Insulated glass is used in soft drink chillers in retail
stores, airports, etc.

Reduced Infiltration:

In hot climates, heat gain due to temperature difference is reduced by IGU.

Reduced Condensation:

Water from condensation build-up and the resultant water run-off can
damage window sills and frames, and seep into walls and adjoining areas.
Condensation will form when the moisture in the air condenses out on
surfaces that are cooler. Window surfaces being colder than other surfaces
in the building are more prone to condensation build up. An IGU reduces
the likelihood of condensation forming by providing a thermal barrier
between the inside and the outside.

Applications of IGU:
 Insulating glass (IG) units are used in a wide range of applications including:
 Commercial/Residential Fixed and Operable windows
 Curtain Walls
 Storefronts
 Sloped/Overhead Glazing
 Non-vision (Spandrel) Locations