Doing great things with glass: G. James' energy efficient living in Queensland with style

From the time Peter and Wendy Dykes started planning their dream home, they knew selecting the right glass for their windows and doors was going to be a critical decision. Their new home, situated on Brisbane's north side, would have magnificent panoramic views overlooking the manicured fairways of North Lakes Resort Golf Course and the surrounding mountains. As the house is fully air conditioned, choosing a glass that would minimise solar heat gain and minimise operating costs was important.

To gain the full benefit of the view, large areas of glass were incorporated in the design on the northern and western elevations. "With so much glass we were really concerned about the amount of heat coming into the home. We wanted to be comfortable, and the last thing we wanted was to live in a 'hot box,'" explained Wendy.

Being close to the fifth tee, the couple also had concerns about ambient noise, so glass that would cut both heat and noise was desirable. Peter and Wendy looked at various glass options with grey tones, including grey laminated and Solect Grey from G. James.

After twelve months living in a home with performance glazing, Wendy and Peter are delighted with their choice. "The house is very comfortable to live in and has a good light balance. The noise control is unbelievable. When I shut the doors you can't hear anything."

In an otherwise well-insulated building, a significant proportion of solar heat gain can occur through the windows, according to a study carried out by Arup Façade Engineering. Performance glazing can improve the energy efficiency of windows.

For example, a tinted Low E glass can stop up to 57 per cent of solar heat gain occurring throught the windows. What this means for homeowners is a more comfortable home that requires less air conditioning.

Solect Grey is a Low E laminated glass. It has an exposed coating to surface 4 (inside the building). This coating is very durable but requires appropriate care when cleaning.

According to the Arup research, savings on energy bills mean that energy efficient windows pay for themselves, thereafter saving the owner money for the life of the building.

For builders, performance glazing offers a quick, cost effective way to achieve compliance with more stringent energy building regulations, by effectively plugging the weakest points in a building�s insulation envelope.

The owners had a strong desire to maintain their view while protecting their expensive furnishings from the harsh western sun � a laminated Low E glass was the obvious choice.

According to Arup façade expert, Stefan Brey, the western aspect of a building is difficult to manage because low altitude afternoon sun penetrates deep into the space and is difficult to shade. West facing windows receive the most solar energy and can be the greatest source of solar heat gain in summer.

A glass with a high light transmission was an important consideration for those rooms facing the south.

The southern aspect of a building receives little winter sun, and only early morning or late afternoon summer sun, since the sun moves in the northern half of the sky.

Even on the southern side of a building, performance glazing is important to insulate the building from the outside heat in summer.