Comments on: Revolutionary Super-Insulating Vacuum Glass!

By: Are Low-E Windows Melting Your Neighbor's House? | Inhabitat - Green Design Will Save the World

Fri, 06 Aug 2010 20:31:33 +0000

[...] Newspaper recently shared some surprising news suggesting that new low-E windows could be responsible for melting the vinyl siding on neighboring homes. Reflections from the [...]

By: greenbuilding

greenbuilding — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 15:25:56 +0000

I think it’s a great technology but until we see the prices drop there won’t be mass adoption of this product. Having this type of window would save a homeowner money. I just wonder how long it will take to make up this cost. If it isn’t long then I could see widespread adoption quicker.

By: romur1

romur1 — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 08:23:57 +0000

This “new” technology was developed by The Rocky Mountain Institute in the early 1980″s

By: Ric

Ric — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 03:22:19 +0000

What’s with the uneven spacing? If you look closely you can see that the dots are not in straight lines. Also why not put a clear plastic spacer rather than an opaque plastic one. the dots would be less visually obtrusive if they were clear.

By: Find Your Next Project: A Synthetic Lawn or Rustic Wall Slat? » Remodeling Blog

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 18:05:59 +0000

[...] folks at Inhabitat recently found vacuum-glazed super glass designed by researchers at Guardian Industries. They’ve [...]

By: Find Your Next Project: A Synthetic Lawn or Rustic Wall Slat? » Remodeling Blog

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 18:05:59 +0000

[...] folks at Inhabitat recently found vacuum-glazed super glass designed by researchers at Guardian Industries. They’ve [...]

By: mbartosik

mbartosik — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 22:20:10 +0000

R12 windows are not new. The new thing is getting the thickness down. I have R11.6 windows (1 3/8″ thick IGU) and they are great, and not disproportionately more expensive. Mine are made by AlpenEG (www.alpeneg.com). To put R11.6 into context when the temp outside is freezing the temp on the inner plane is only about 1F less than my 2×4 walls. I throughly recommend AlpenEG. I could not care less about thickness, so I would prefer the thicker unit to the dots.

By: jeanX

jeanX — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 22:02:19 +0000

I have already lost the vacuum in one window, installed around 1994?
Are the dots visible?

By: mbartosik

mbartosik — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 21:31:10 +0000

Alpen (www.alpeneg.com) already have R15 windows, I have some of their R11.6 windows and they are great, and affordable.

By: kbpratt

kbpratt — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 13:46:27 +0000

The idea of evacuating the cavity in an IGU has been around a long time – its just that the pressure differential makes it very difficult to do w/o the glass bowing inward. Looks from the photo that the dots are structural supports for the glass… The problem with this kind of technology is really its longevity – how long before the vacuum fails because air leaks in? Think about how even regular IGUs have problems maintaining their seals through hundreds of thermal cycles. And how do you design a building when the U value of the windows is probably going to change significantly over time?

By: hugo

hugo — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 09:18:13 +0000

I very much love this concept. It is as straightforward as it is green. I think the glass will be suitable for replacement glass for normal windows. This could well be the biggest innovation in “green” building for decades to come.

In a few years the price will drop to an affordable level and application will be unlimited. That is, if there will be more then one provider…

By: Amazing insulating glass « Later On

Amazing insulating glass « Later On — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 02:44:33 +0000

[...] in Daily life, Global warming, Technology at 7:44 pm by LeisureGuy Very cool: Researchers at Guardian Industries have recently unveiled a new breed of vacuum-glazed super glass [...]

By: LivingSpaceBuilders.com

LivingSpaceBuilders.com — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 01:25:52 +0000

Absolutely love this innovation; this upgrade couldn’t come soon enough. Our company is currently building showcase green home in Michigan and we were just looking at all of our window options. This level of efficiency will truly revolutionize the energy consumption of homes and businesses. Windows bothered us for a long time, since even the most efficient windows today are simply not efficient enough to mach rest of the high-tech building components of a green home.

By: Nick Simpson

Nick Simpson — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 00:37:03 +0000

From the one photo available it doesn\’t look like this would work in normal windows, but simply as a means of allowing in light, at that level of insulation, this is brilliant. I expect the cost is pretty high but it\’ll drop. With so much heat lost through glazing this could make a big impact, given time.