Galvanizing Leaps in Advanced Super INsulating Glass (GLASING)

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Submissions can propose a project with the end deliverable being an extremely creative, but partial solution. Program Overview: Projects funded under the Galvanizing Leaps in Advanced Super INsulating Glass (GLASING) program will develop high performance Insulated Glass Units (IGUs) to improve the energy efficiency of new and existing buildings. GLASING technologies will achieve more than three times the thermal performance of the widely used 50-year-old double-pane IGU technology at competitive cost and optical performance. Applications for GLASING technologies will include new and retrofit single- and double-hung windows, bay windows, casement windows, awning windows, skylights, etc. Residential and commercial buildings accounted for 39.1% of the primary energy used in the U.S. in 2021, and 38% of that energy was used for space heating and cooling. Approximately 35% of that heating and cooling energy was lost through the building envelope (e.g., windows, walls, doors, attic, and air leaks). Overall, windows were responsible for 8.6% of the total energy used in buildings. Compared to walls, which typically have R-values between R-10 and R-30, single-pane windows and double-pane IGUs have R-values between R-1 and R-3.5 and are thus often the cause of poor building thermal performance. Reducing the amount of heat lost or gained (and thus energy used) through windows would reduce utility costs and carbon dioxide emissions. It would also enable the use of smaller, less expensive HVAC equipment and ducting systems, increasing the useful interior space of buildings and reducing the demand for energy on the electrical grid. An IGU is composed of two or more glass panes that provide a measure of thermal insulation, and IGUs are often held within a sash and/or frame. In double-pane low emissivity (or double low-e) IGUs, the main thermal resistance is provided by a layer of gas (usually air, argon, or krypton) trapped between the two panes. The panes are separated by a spacer containing a desiccant to absorb water and a polyisobutylene seal that minimizes water and gas transfer. Radiation across the gap is minimized by the application of a low-e coating on the inward facing surface of one or both panes. The remaining heat transfer mechanisms are conduction through the edge seal and both conduction and convection through the fill gas. The center-of-glass (COG) thermal resistance as a function of the gas thickness initially increases as the conduction resistance increases but reaches a maximum and then decreases as natural convection commences. Various techniques can be used to increase the thermal resistance of over that of double-pane IGUs (Figure 2 on the following page). Gases with lower thermal conductivity, higher density, and higher viscosity such as argon or krypton could replace air in double low-e IGUs. Multiple gas layers can be used at the expense of heavier, thicker, and more expensive IGUs. Thin triple IGUs use a thin layer of glass within a standard double low-e IGU to minimize convection. Transparent materials (e.g., aerogels) with a thermal conductivity lower than that of air can be placed within the gap, which has the additional benefit of reducing convection. Finally, the gas can be eliminated altogether in Vacuum Insulated Glazing (VIG), leaving only conduction through the small spacers and the edge seal as the remaining heat transfer mechanisms. To view the NOFO in its entirety, please visit https://arpa-e-foa.energy.gov.