High-quality glass solutions are now an integral part of modern architectural designs. It is difficult to imagine a building block without a glazed façade, and more and more often - a roof slope or floor. Glazing provides access to daylight, protects from noise and takes care of safety. On the one hand, they prevent overheating of rooms, on the other - heat loss, and in the case of highly technological solutions such as active heating glass, they can be a source of heat.
Kosciuszko Mound in Krakow, glazed roof made of EGLAS glass and COOL-LITE SKN 165
©SAINT GOBAIN
The mechanism of operation of the heating glass is based on the transformation of electrical energy into thermal radiation as a result of the flow of electricity through the surface of the sheet covered with a low-emission metal oxide coating, which is connected to the power supply via two electrodes.
With four functions, in the form of main heating, thermal comfort heating, anti-condensation or snow melting, the heating glass will provide exactly what the user expects: thermal comfort, unparalleled glazing transparency, adequate interior sunlight in winter without the need to shovel snow from the glass panes.
Safe and aesthetic roof glazing
The popularity of glazed slopes or spectacularly sized roof windows is growing. However, their use in a project often poses quite a challenge for architects, both in terms of ensuring maximum safety for users and excellent visibility regardless of the weather. On the one hand, due to the high volume weight and excessive load on the structure, the snow cover deposited on the slope poses a potential danger to human life and health, on the other - it blocks access to natural light and forces the use of artificial lighting. Manual removal of snow by specialized companies is sometimes costly, so the use of laminated heating glass with snow melting function will be an effective solution to the problem.
EGLAS glass has a built-in sensor that - as soon as it identifies snow, rain or when the temperature drops below +5°C - triggers the melting process. When this happens, the metal oxide coating begins to emit infrared radiation, and the outside of the sheet heats up to the temperature necessary to melt the snow in a given design and location. In order to use this function, a current of 350 - 600 W/m² is required (depending on the implementation), as well as an electrical voltage of 230 V AC. Once these requirements are met, the magic of ensuring perfect transparency of the glazing literally happens on its own.
EGLAS heating glass with anti-condensation function, photo by Saint-Gobain
© SAINT-GOBAIN
Heat under control
Thermal comfort in interiors is an equally important issue. In the case of residential buildings or commercial premises, EGLAS active glass allows you to forget about the cold even outside the heating season. It can be used as a supplement to the heating system and an additional, and in some cases - even the main source of heat in the room. As an alternative to radiators, EGLAS allows greater freedom of arrangement. Installing fewer radiators or eliminating them altogether means increasing the usable space, which at the same time becomes more aesthetically pleasing, visually "lighter" and can be decorated in any style.
Due to the fact that "warm glass" eliminates the so-called "cold wall effect", there is no need to worry about setting up workstations or creating rest areas in the immediate vicinity of the glass panel. EGLAS is a healthy, fully integrated heating system that, unlike standard heating methods, does not dry out the air.
A way to fight excessive moisture
Fogged up glass obstructing visibility is a phenomenon we encounter especially during the heating season, but not only. Thanks to the anti-condensation function, EGLAS active glass frees users from the problem of condensed vapor on the surface of the sheet and allows them to enjoy the views stretching across the window. It also prevents the accumulation of moisture on the frames, which promotes the growth of harmful mold or mildew, so we can breathe more freely, better quality air.
Heating glass with anti-condensation function will be perfect for facades, windows or in the form of glass interior partitions - especially in places exposed to moisture, such as bathrooms and kitchens, as well as investments where water is one of the main attractions, such as aqua parks, sports centers, luxury saunas or spa salons, further increasing the prestige of these places.
EGLAS heating glass
©SAINT GOBAIN
A versatile solution for modern investments
Using EGLAS in insulating glass units, we can compose it with any glass from Saint-Gobain's offer to enrich it with additional functions that enhance the quality of life of users. And when it comes to safety issues, EGLAS laminated glass meets European quality standards, is resistant to moisture penetration ( IP34 and IP67 - only for insulating glass units), as well as impact(EN 12600).
The specificity of EGLAS heating glass allows it to be used in a variety of projects, both residential buildings and public facilities, such as hotels, museums, shopping centers, medical centers or restaurants, in internal applications - in the form of partition walls, glass doors or floors, and external applications: all-glass roofs and walls, skylights, large-size windows, etc. The ability to personalize the panes gives architects full freedom to create spaces. The glass is available in a variety of sizes (min. 300x500 mm, max. 2200x4000 mm), shapes and design variants made by sandblasting or digital printing.
The possibility of combining EGLAS glass with a photovoltaic installation makes space heating even more ecological and economical. And speaking of ecology - thanks to an online calculator dedicated to the heating function, designers can easily calculate what glass surface will guarantee thermal comfort to users and how much energy the panel will consume during the heating period, which is of considerable importance for sustainable construction.
However, this is not the end of the innovations. EGLAS glass is equipped with dedicated thermostats to optimize temperature management, and its functionality can be controlled via a mobile app. EGLAS will therefore be a perfect complement to smart homes or public buildings using advanced automation systems (BMS).
For more information, visit the company's Saint-Gobain Glass page on the PDA portal.
