In today’s economy, conserving energy has
become a top priority in almost all households and organisations. With the
rising cost of energy bills, as well as the simple fact that most people are
aware of the harm fossil fuel causes to the environment, people are always
looking for ways to reduce their energy consumption.
Despite this, most consumers are unaware of the fact that they can save
energy by simply utilising Aluminium Thermal Break Windows. These are apertures
specifically designed to conserve energy by reducing the need of
air-conditioning throughout the year.
Essentially these Aluminium Thermal Break
Windows reduce the amount of heat or cold entering the habitable area by use of
a separator material. This is a rigid, low thermal conductive polyamide or
polyurethane. The
aluminium frame would be split into two pieces and the separator material would
then be bonded in between them. The idea behind this is to prevent temperature
transfer through the frame itself.
The separator material provides the profile
with several benefits; the material itself can be up to 1000 times less
thermally conductive than aluminium and up to 100 times less than steel. It
helps to prevent condensation on the inside of the frame itself which in turn helps
to inhibit the growth of mould, especially within gypsum walls. The thermal
break mechanism also has the added benefit of dampening vibrations. This
results in the reduction of sound transmittance.
The frame itself is not the only factor in
an Aluminium Thermal Break Window. One must also take note of the glass itself.
The frame could be coupled with standard double glazing glass, however, it
would be more beneficial to utilise Low-e Double Glazing Glass, Solar glass or,
for optimum efficiency, a fusion of both Low-e and Solar Glass.
The Low-e glass would be metal coated on one
side with the use of either Pyrolytic coating, which is a hard coat, or
sputtered coating which is a soft coat. This is a microscopically thin layer
and is near invisible to the naked eye. It acts as a filter to block long wave
radiation, such as that of infrared heat, and allows short wave radiation, such
as UV and Visible light to pass through.
By coupling solar glass and Low-e the
filtering power is increased significantly, blocking up to 50% more unwanted
solar energy than standard clear glass, and up to 40% more than even dark
tinted glass. This provides the benefit of protection without sacrificing
lighting or window size.
This is beneficial as in the summer months
the thermal radiation is reflected away from the room and the short wave
radiation passes through, which is then absorbed by the furniture within the
room. As a result, the sun would warm up the furniture in the room yet keep the
room itself cool.
In the winter months, the warmth of the room
would want to naturally escape out into the cold. However, the Low-e glass
would reflect the thermal radiation back into the room, keeping it warm.
As a result, Aluminium Thermal Break Windows
help to keep your habitable area well lit as well as
maintaining the house or office at a comfortable temperature throughout the
year with minimal need for air-conditioning.
Mark Vassallo - Managing DirectorAluserv Building, Triq in-Negozju
Mriehel Industrial Estate, Mriehel
Tel: 21449878 | Fax: 21449877
www.servgroupmalta.com
