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Green Design

Southwall's Advanced Film Technologies Transform Glass to Enable Sustainable Design

For almost 30 years Southwall Technologies has been delivering high performance, energy saving solutions to the architectural market. Some of these key innovations include:

• World’s first low-e coatings in 1980
• World’s first spectrally selective low-e coatings in 1983
• World’s first super-windows in 1990
• World’s first two-part silicone structural super glass in 2010

At this year’s Greenbuild show, Southwall will showcase a range of architectural products that can dramatically improve glazing energy efficiency:

Transforming Insulating Glass — Heat Mirror® Suspended Film

Southwall’s Heat Mirror insulating glass suspends up to 3 lightweight films within an IG unit to create up to 4 super-insulating cavities at the same weight as dual-pane IG. With U-values as low as 0.05 and SHGC values as low as 0.10, multi-cavity Heat Mirror IG expands design freedom and enables architects to solve their most demanding design challenges.

Transforming Laminated Glass — XIR® Embedded Film

XIR Laminated glass improves monolithic laminated glass solar control performance by almost 50% with minimal impact on view and aesthetics. XIR laminated glass enables designers to create solar control solutions incorporating curved glass and enhances the performance of point fixed applications. 

Transforming Existing Windows — Architectural Applied Films

Southwall's clear and durable architectural applied films transform the performance of windows in existing buildings by optimizing visible light and reducing solar heat gain.

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For additional information please contact us directly at archsales@southwall.com

Why is Green Building Important?

A “green” building is one that has been constructed or renovated to incorporate design techniques, technologies, and materials that lessen its dependence on fossil fuels and minimize its overall negative environmental impact. One of the greatest benefits of green buildings is their decreased electricity and energy usage, which helps reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.

According to the U.S. Green Building Council, buildings account for:

• 36% of total energy use and 65% of electricity consumption
• 30% of greenhouse gas emissions
• 30% of raw materials use
• 30% of waste output (136 million tons annually)
• 12% of potable water consumption

An increase in the adoption of green building practices could reduce this energy consumption significantly. In addition, occupants of green buildings enjoy healthier indoor environments and higher productivity levels.

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)

The LEED Green Building Rating System™ is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings in the US. LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health:

• Sustainable site development
• Water savings
• Energy efficiency
• Materials selection
• Indoor environmental quality

To earn certification, a building must meet certain prerequisites and performance benchmarks ("credits") within each category. Projects are awarded Certified, Silver, Gold, or Platinum certification depending on the number of credits they achieve.

Leveraging Glass Design to Achieve LEED Gold/Platinum Certification

Over the past 25 years, architects, designers, and mechanical engineers across the globe have used Southwall products to meet the most demanding Sustainable Design requirements. 
Southwall thermal and solar shading performance begins where Low-e ends, enabling “extreme green” glazing solutions that can achieve up to 21 LEED credits, or 54% and 40% of the total required credits for Gold and Platinum certification, respectively.