Pilkington K Activ Blue
What is so good about K Glass? Well, Pilkington K Glass™ to be precise, has a low emissivity (low E) coating, which means windows and doors fitted with K Glass™ retain internally generated heat within a room, whilst simultaneously allowing passive solar gain from the sun into the room – the best of both worlds and perfect for conservatories! The coating is virtually invisible meaning the transparency to windows and doors fitted with K Glass remains unaffected.
The advanced properties of the low E coating means it is a poor radiator of heat or perhaps better put – a very good insulator. This creates one very useful benefit; the coating on the surface of the inner pane of an Insulating Glass Unit (IGU) faces towards the air gap, therefore preventing any heat absorbed to radiate across the gap and disappear externally via the outer pane.
The result is far higher insulation levels for homes and conservatories fitted with K Glass, meaning warm rooms, lower energy consumption and therefore lower heating costs. So we can now enjoy the panoramic delights of conservatories with splendid walled glazing and roof lights without experiencing any real loss of heat.
Compare and contrast K Glass™ to a conservatory fitted with standard non low-E glass; absorbed heat radiates through the glazed unit to the colder, outside window pane surface. The result is a loss of heat and therefore a colder room. A less energy efficient conservatory requires more energy just to achieve the same comfortable room temperatures which would be achieved in a similar room fitted with K Glass™. Ultimately, this results in higher heating bills for the same or possibly less warmth!
Pilkington K Glass™ brand is now an established and trusted energy efficiency solution for conservatories when conforming to the Building Regulations Approved Document Part L – Conservation of fuel and power. Failure to gain Building Regulations approval could mean a delay or even termination of any proposed building work.
The heat retention of a material such as glass is better known as its thermal resistivity or U-value. For instance, the lower the U-value of a window, the greater its ability to prevent heat from passing through and being lost to the outside. Heat loss is typically greater through transparent materials such as glass compared to cavity walls, however advanced technologies have enabled developers to produce solutions such as Pilkington K Glass™. The benefits to homeowners and suppliers are clear to see.
Where possible Clarity Conservatories ensure all UPVC conservatories requiring Building Regulations approval are supplied with K Glass, so homeowners enjoy the full and state-of-the-art benefits of a new energy efficient conservatory.
Tags: conservatory, Conservatory News, glass, pilkington k, upvc