What is Low-E Glass & How Does it Work?
Impact windows are one of the leading methods of hurricane protection in Florida. Homeowners interested in protecting their homes against damage from winds and flying debris should invest in impact windows. Naples, FL’s own Wind Safe Shutters, LLC regularly installs impact windows with Low-E glass.
What is Low E-Glass?
Low-E Glass is short for “Low Emissivity Glass.” This revolutionary window coating technology began in the 1980s and today is common on windows, including hurricane windows. Emissivity refers to how something gives off heat. In this case, the heat comes from the sun.
Low-E glass means a specific coating applied in a very thin layer on panes of glass. Per the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the coating is “virtually invisible” and “metal or metallic oxide.” The microscopic nature of the coating means not noticeable, nor does it detract from your view. If you choose us for impact windows in Naples, FL, Marco Island, or the surrounding area, you can enjoy Low-E glass in your installation.
How Does the Low-E Glass Work?
As the sun shines in the sky and its rays hit your windows, two forms of wavelengths enter light and heat. The light arrives in a short wavelength, while the heat arrives in a long wavelength. In an impact window with Low-E glass, the window’s coating reflects heat away from your glass windows but lets the light in. With Low-E glass, your windows don’t let in as much heat because the coating absorbs and reflects it back. The Low-E coating reduces infrared (IR) heat transfer by 5 to 10 times, with the exact amount depending on the coating’s thickness. IR is basically the amount of heat you feel from the sun.
Benefits of Low-E Glass in Impact Windows for Homeowners
When they add Low-E glass in their hurricane impact windows, Naples, FL homeowners enjoy several benefits. First, they have unparalleled hurricane protection, as impact windows can withstand significant pressure and winds up to 157 MPH, speeds that define a Category 5 hurricane. The impact windows provide ample protection from flying debris and high wind, reducing the chance they’ll crack under pressure.
Adding impact windows to your Florida home provides strong hurricane protection against damaging winds and helps with energy costs year-round. The improved reflectivity from the Low-E glass helps keep the heat out on sunny days while keeping the heat in on cold days. Better energy efficiency means you run your air conditioner less, as the EPA finds Low-E glass can offer a 30% to 50% reduction in energy loss. Best of all, you get these benefits without compromising on the visual beauty of your home’s windows.
Low E-Glass Hurricane Windows and Your Health
Hurricane windows with Low-E glass also offer health benefits to anyone else in your home.
With Low-E glass heat transfer, you should also remember that when the sunlight streams into your home, it brings heat, light, and Ultraviolet (UV) rays. Too many UV rays, such as UVA and UVB, can harm your health. According to The U.S. Department of Energy, Low-E glass also helps reflect Ultraviolet Light (UV) from your house or business.
Both UVA and UVB rays can contribute to skin cancer, but UVA also causes premature skin damage, such as dark spots and wrinkles. UVA rays are 95% of UV radiation on the Earth’s surface and have the ability to reflect off surfaces. Standard window glass filters out UVB rays, but 50% of UVA rays can stream through glass. Low-E glass offers strong UV protection as it filters out 99% of UV rays.
Fortify Your Home with Durable Hurricane Protection Today
If you want to add hurricane windows to your home, trust us for impact window installation. Our Low-E glass windows offer hurricane protection but also help you save on energy costs and mitigate skin cancer risk. When it comes to impact windows, Naples, FL homeowners trust us to make sure their home is ready to stand up to the rigors of Florida, be it storms or sunshine.