Improving the thermal behaviour of buildings Advanced materials science research funded by the Fifth Framework Programme led to the development of a new silver-based glass coating that can decrease thermal losses from buildings. Energy © Shutterstock Buildings consume considerable amounts of energy for lighting, heating, cooling, ventilation and other needs. Reducing the impact of buildings on climate change will require major improvements in energy efficiency. Significant potential for savings has been identified in the field of glass coatings and treatments. The Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development Programme supported an initiative in this area by a consortium of six different organisations from across Europe. The objective of the project, entitled 3RD GENLAC, was to create a new generation of coatings with optimal thermal behavior. Experts with Scheuten Glasgroep BV in the Netherlands contributed by developing a new silver-based (Ag) coating using a jumbo sputter coater in combination with Zinc-Aluminium-Oxide targets. Quantification of various energy efficiency indicators in the laboratory revealed that the new double-Ag coating significantly reduces the amount of energy lost through the glass surface. This means that less energy is required to heat/cool the building in the winter/summer. Scheuten Glasgroep BV and its 3RD GENLAC partners are following up on this result, which represents a remarkable improvement in comparison with currently available glass products.
