Safetyline Jalousie is introducing a very unique Energy Saving Glass to its range to offer architects, building designers and facade engineers the thermal performance of conventional double glazing.

Pilkington’s Spacia is the world’s first commercially available vacuum glazing. Only a quarter of the thickness of double glazing, it offers an attractive solution to the problems of resolving building conservation with modern comfort as well as fulfilling modern requirements.

How it works

A vacuum glazed window unit consists of an outer pane of low emissive glass and an inner pane of clear float glass, separated by a micro spacer grid of small pillars each measuring just 0.5mm diameter and set 20mm apart. This grid ensures that the two glass panes are kept a fixed distance apart. The edges of the unit are welded to achieve an airtight seal.

During the course of vacuum glazing manufacture, the air in the space between the two panes of glass is extracted to create a vacuum via the extraction point (as opposed to filling the space with air or gas). Even a small vacuum is effective in reducing the conduction and convection heat losses, so the gap between the two panes can be reduced to just 0.2mm. The result is an excellent thermal performance from a unit that is only slightly thicker than a single pane of glass.

Why incorporate vacuum glazing into Safetyline Jalousie louvre windows

There is no doubt that louvre windows provide more airflow than most other windows so are an obvious choice to provide ventilation and cooling. Due to the continued evolution of standards and regulations around energy efficiency, improvement to construction methods and greater consumer expectations, the demand for double glazed louvre systems has been growing in recent years.

There are only a few double-glazed louvre windows available to Australian consumers at present. Unfortunately, all are manufactured offshore, come with a very high price tag, and while they offer excellent thermal performance, they do not necessarily meet other requirements such as balustrade compliance and fall prevention. Safetyline Jalousie’s vacuum glass louvre window will provide an alternative solution at an affordable price, with the ability to improve energy efficiency all year round and with the same design capabilities as the original JX Safetyline Jalousie louvre window.

Overall Performance

An analysis has been undertaken by Inhabit Group to assess the overall performance of the Safetyline Jalousie system with multiple products and panel sizes. Using THERM 6.3, the Australian Fenestration Rating Council (AFRC) total U Value and Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) of the vision panels has been calculated based on actual sizes.

As can be seen from Table 1 below, the calculated U-Value and SHGC are outlined.

Benefits of vacuum glazing windows

• Thermal performance equal to or better than that of most low-e double glazing but in the same thickness as single glass
• Improved sound reduction performance when compared to a standard double glazed window (35Rw when incorporated into the Safetyline Jalousie system)
• Cost effective alternative to double glazing
• Vacuum glazing is a proven solution; installed successfully in the UK and the Netherlands and used in Japan for over a decade

Project Examples

IT Umeda Tower, Osaka Japan

This striking 22-storey tower is located in front of Osaka station. 1400m2 of Spacia Vacuum Glazing is installed in the northern facade called “Zero Energy Space”. Vacuum Glazing was selected for its superior energy and acoustic performance.

Mita Parkside Tower, Tokyo Japan

For this 25-storey high rise condominium standing alongside a busy highway, the high sound reduction performance was a key feature.

Contact Safetyline Jalousie today to provide your buildings the right kind of window materials.