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How to Design Your Home with Glazing
Glazing in the house is a key thermal performer for windows and glass objects after insulation and shading for a number of reasons:
- In summer, windows and glass material in a typical insulated home can account for 100 times more heat gain than wall.
- In winter, the heat loss can be 10 times as big as that of the insulated wall.
However, house glazing is not a simple home design idea for energy efficient homes.
There are numerous sophisticated computer programs which help to understand the impact of house glazing (AccuRate, BERS Pro, FirstRate). These programs can asses accurately the thermal performance of your house.
The trick to design your home with glazing is to control 3 heat flow types:
- Conduction - the movement of air from the warmest to the coldest side.
- Convection - the movement of heat by air away from the source.
- Radiation - heat that is transmitted as electromagnetic waves (until absorbed or reflected).
No, we are not going into a PhD in thermodynamics. However, if you want to ask your home builder smart questions then you need to know the basics.
Better Homes Require Good Heat Performance
Conduction through any home element (windows, frames, glass etc.) is defined by U-value. U-value is a reciprocal to R-value (the resistance to heat flow). So, higher is the U-value more heat is transmitted. Some typical U-values:
- Aluminium frame 10.0
- Timber frame 2.8
- Double glazing glass 3.1
It is evident that the timber frame prevents heat gain (or loss) better than aluminium. But how does this translate into actual dollars. The formula which quantifies the impact of U-value on the home resources is: UxTxA=watts
- 'U' is the U-value
- 'T' is the temperature difference between the inside and the outside
- 'A' is the area of glazing
- 'watts' is the heat loss
Ask your home builder about U-values. Remember green home design saves money and increases the comfort.
New Homes Must Consider Convection
Homes minimise convective heat by minimising the air-flow. This is not so much about galzing but rather about the structures close to the glazed objects. Plants, double glazing, curtains, screens and even argon gas in between layers lowers the effect of convection.
Types of Glazing in Modern Australian Homes
Glass is a widely used product in home design plans across Australia. The new glass technology swarms building market with many types to choose from.
- Tonned glass is produced in many colours. This includes: bronze, grey, blue and green
- Supertonned glass is a tonned glass but with heavier pigmentation. It is perfect in reducing glare.
- Reflective glass is a complex and expensive material. It employs pyrolytic coating and reflective glazing.
- Spectral selective glass. This glass has a coating which permits different wavelength of light. It depends on a climatic zone and requires that a specialist installs it.
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