Low E2 has two layers of metallic coating. It also blocks 84% of the sun's UV rays to reduce fading. Low E3 Lower U-Factor Lower solar heat gain Low E3 rejects solar heat while letting light in, resulting in increased performance in climates with intense sun exposure. Low E3 has three layers of metallic coating.
What is the difference between low E2 and low E3 windows?
While a single pane of clear glass has a U-factor of 1.04, a low-E2 window measures 0.30, compared to 0.29 for low-E3 windows, according to Milgard Manufacturing, giving low-E3 windows a slight edge in this category. The solar heat gain coefficient, or SHGC, of a window reveals the fraction of solar radiation admitted through a window.
What is low E3 glass?
Features three layers of metallic silver and provides the lowest solar heat gain performance in climates where sun exposure is intense and cooling costs are high. A high performance insulating glass that features a Low-E coating on the room-side glass (4th surface) and low E3 on the 2nd glass surface.
What is the difference between hard coat low E and low E?
A hard-coat low-e coating is durable and survives touching and wiping. A conventional low-e double-pane window has one low-e coating (on either surface #3 or surface #4). A low-e 2 window has low-e coatings on two surfaces, chosen among surfaces #2, 3, or 4.
What is low E2 coating?
A higher performing Low E glass with significantly improved U Factors (ability to keep heat inside of your home). This coating is placed on the interior surface of the glass and can be touched. It is used in conjunction with Low E2 or Low E3 and helps reflect radiant heat back into the room.
What is low E window?
Why is Low E4 misleading?
Is Low E4 window a trademark?
Is dual paned gas filled window good for low E2?
How to compare low E2 and low E3 windows?
Comparing low-E2 and low-E3 windows begins by comparing how much light is transmitted through the glass. Typically, the more layers of low-E coating applied to a window, the less natural light is able to enter the home. For example, a single pane of uncoated glass has a visible transmittance, or VT, rating of 90 percent, which means 90 percent of visible light enters through the glass, while 10 percent is reflected back out. A standard low-E2 window has a VT of 70 percent, compared to 66 percent for low-E3 windows, according to Milgard Manufacturing Inc.
When did low E windows come out?
These coatings, which are invisible to the naked eye, became fairly standard throughout the 1980s; by the 1990s, window makers were adding a second metallic coating to create low-E2 -- or low-E squared -- windows. In 2010, manufacturers introduced low-E3 -- or low-E cubed -- windows, which feature three coats of metal to further reduce solar heat ...
What is low emissivity glass?
Low-emissivity coatings consist of ultra-thin layers of tin dioxide, silver or other metals applied to a pane of glass. Low-E windows are designed to reflect solar heat energy outdoors rather than allowing it to enter the home and introduce unwanted heat. These coatings, which are invisible to the naked eye, became fairly standard throughout the 1980s; by the 1990s, window makers were adding a second metallic coating to create low-E2 -- or low-E squared -- windows. In 2010, manufacturers introduced low-E3 -- or low-E cubed -- windows, which feature three coats of metal to further reduce solar heat transfer through the glass.
What is low E2?
It will help retain heat in your home during the winter and keep heat out during the summer. Low E2 has two layers of metallic coating. It also blocks 84% of the sun's UV rays to reduce fading. Low E3. Lower U-Factor. Lower solar heat gain.
Is LoE3 better than LoE2?
LoE glass helps keep homes warm in the winter as well -- it helps reflect heat indoors. so it's not just about the sun. in the long run, LoE3 could be a better value for heating and cooling bills year round. And it will do a better job preventing fading on their furniture, etc. But unless it gets really hot in the summer where you are, you might be fine with LoE2. The higher the "E", greener the glass looks and some people don't like that.
Low-E2 vs Low-E3
Is Low-E3 that much better than Low-E2 I live just north of San Francisco on the water. Window face west with unobstructed sun.
Comments (6)
Not necessarily better as much is the different coatings are more climate specific.
Glass & Glazing
Can you help me to better understand the numbers? What’s a good U-factor number? What’s a good SHGC?
High Performance
What else do I need to know if I want to make my home super energy efficient?
How is low E glass made?
Hard coat Low-E glass is manufactured by pouring a thin layer of molten tin onto a sheet of glass while the glass is still slightly molten . The tin actually becomes "welded" to the glass. This process makes it difficult or "hard" to scratch or remove the tin. Often this glass has a blueish tint to it.
Why use low E glass?
For this reason, soft coat Low-E glass must be used in an insulated glass assembly. Sealing the soft coating in between two pieces of glass protects the soft coating from outside air and sources of abrasion. Also, the space between the two pieces of glass is often filled with argon gas. The argon gas inhibits oxidation of the metallic coating.
What does emissivity mean in science?
My Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary defines emissivity as "the relative power of a surface to emit heat by radiation." Emit means to "throw or give off."
What happens to low E glass in winter?
So, in the winter months, if you have Low-E glass in your home, much of the warmth (heat) given off by the furnace and all the objects which the furnace has heated, is bounced back into the room. In the summer, the same thing happens but in reverse.
Is Low E glass in windows?
If so, there probably was Low-E glass in the windows. Low-E glass is one of the technological marvels of today's residential construction.
What is low E coating?
Low E coatings are microscopically thin, essentially invisible coatings on the glass surface that help manage the amount of light and heat conducted through a window pane or reflected away from it, reducing a home’s dependence on heat and air conditioning. The national ENERGY STAR® program recognizes products that meet strict energy-efficiency guidelines to suit climates in different areas of the country, and Marvin offers products to meet climate and code requirements in every region.
What is low E glass?
A higher performing Low E glass with significantly improved U Factors (ability to keep heat inside of your home). This coating is placed on the interior surface of the glass and can be touched. It is used in conjunction with Low E2 or Low E3 and helps reflect radiant heat back into the room. This means a slightly cooler interior glass surface since the heat is not absorbed by the glass. The cooler surface may see a bit more condensation in cold climates versus traditional Low E glass make-ups. Abrasive products should be avoided when cleaning the glass.
What does the letter E mean on a guitar?
The letters (E,A,D etc) refer to the note. The standard tuning for the guitar is E,A,D,G,B,E (Last E is two octaves higher than the lowest one). Now, the numbers after each letter refer to the specific octave ( Scientific pitch notation) of the note. As you know, there is more than one note named E.
What is the A2 on a guitar?
A2 would a sixth above the C2 etc. Generally, if you simply say you tune your guitar to E,A,D,G,B,E (without the numbers), it's the same thing. People with still understand you. But if you want to tell someone the exact octave of a note, you can use the aforementioned numbers.
Is the U factor higher or lower?
There is a trade-off between the Solar Gain coefficient and the window U-factor - so if you go with a coating with a high-solar-gain coefficient, the window U-factor will be slightly higher (i.e., worse) than coatings with lower-solar-gain coefficients.
Is Pyrolitic hard coat low E?
Pyrolitic / hard coat low-E on surface # 4 isn't a huge cost adder , and brings the performance of the glass pretty close to triple-pane performance. The condensation risk issue only comes up in MUCH colder climates than Berkeley.
Is low E hard coat?
For surface #4, only a hard-coat low-e (a pyrolitic coating) is possible. A hard-coat low-e coating is durable and survives touching and wiping.
What is low E2 glass?
Marvin’s Low-E2 glass also uses a hermetically-sealed system for optimum insulation from heat, cold and sound. When the windows are constructed, a low-conductivity spacer is used to separate the two panes of glass. The space between the two panes is then filled with an argon gas blend. This gas blend helps minimize thermal transfer.
Does low E2 reflect heat?
Summer sun is filtered and reflected back outdoors with Low-E2 glass. In the winter, indoor heat is reflected back into the home thanks to Low-E2.
Is Marvin's Low E2 glass better than Marvin's Low E3?
Marvin’s Low-E3 SmartSun glass is even better. It is up to 70% more energy efficient in the summer and 45% more energy efficient in the winter than regular dual pane glass. This glass also blocks 95% of harmful UV rays.
What is low E window?
What we know as Low-E windows was one of the first advancements made in improving glass pane insulation. These types of windows feature a thin coating of metal on the glass that serves to reflect heat from the interior back in (U-Factor). As one of the first emission control features available; it's application was rather crude and inefficient. A layer of metal was simply attached to the molten glass while it was in production to give it that extra quality. Extensive scrubbing and abrasive cleaning on the window was able to damage the coating.
Why is Low E4 misleading?
They will normally advertise it as such, but the term Low-E4 is misleading because it does not follow the same patterns as Low-E, Low-E2, and Low-E3 already have.
Is Low E4 window a trademark?
This is mentioned due to the nature of the release of products. There is no universal trademarks when it comes to the Low-E products. If you are dealing with a company offering you Low-E4 windows, ask to see some performance charts compared against their other products. Some companies have released a "Low-E4 window" which is nothing more than Low-E window with a self-cleaning coating. They will normally advertise it as such, but the term Low-E4 is misleading because it does not follow the same patterns as Low-E, Low-E2, and Low-E3 already have.
Is dual paned gas filled window good for low E2?
This made the dual-paned, inert gas filled windows an excellent vehicle for Low-E2 windows. The only problem with these windows is the inherent gas leakage one experiences and any weaknesses that might have existed in the spacers. Glass is made of approximately 75% sand so is a bit porous. Losing approximately 1% of the gas filling a year is not something to be considered a deal breaker. Inefficient spacers of the window can cause a much drastic loss instead. The quality of those should be double-checked if one decides to go with this solution.
