Glass TEXpo™ Opens in San Antonio

The show kicked off with a welcome by Jerry Wright, president of the Texas Glass Association (TGA), and an industry forecast by Debra Levy, publisher of USGlass magazine. The TGA and USGlass magazine co-sponsor the biennial event. 

Attendees also were welcomed to San Antonio by councilman Cris Medina, Mayor Pro Tem of San Antonio. “We are home to thousands of small businesses – the heartbeat of our community. And, like many of you, these small businesses find creative methods for serving clients through energy efficiency, cost effectiveness and options for enhancing a building or home’s historic features,” said councilman Medina. The councilman closed with a warm “welcome to San Antonio, a city of the rise!”

Attendees listen with rapt attention to a presentation by Tom Minnon and Blake Hogan during Glass TEXpo, this morning in San Antonio. The show, at the Wyndham Hotel, runs through tomorrow.

Earlier in the day Richard Voreis, chief executive officer of Consulting Collaborative, and a blogger and columnist for USGlass magazine, gave attendees tips on how to capitalize on trends in building construction that will affect their bottom line. Discussion included fenestration talking points, new and retrofit construction, trends in automation, major industry challenges, domestics and foreign threats and what to expect in the future.

Today’s program also included a number of informative seminars. Blake Hogan, south central territory manager at SAGE Electrochromics, and Tom Minnon, architectural specification manager at Tubelite Inc. were two of the day’s presenters.

Minnon touched on key topics of daylighting and integrated facade design. From healthcare to the work environment and even retail and education, attendees were educated on the many benefits that come with successful daylighting. When comparing daylight to electric light, “sunlight with high performance glazing produces 175 lumes of visible light for each watt of heat gained that must be cooled by mechanical means,” explained Minnon.

HOW-DEE! Jerry Wright of the Texas Glass Association welcomes attendees to Glass TEXpo ’14.

Following Minnon, Hogan gave a discussion on electrochromatic glazing and the dynamic control of solar energy. Attendees were educated on key topics such as energy and performance comparisons, sustainability and human factors, and electrochromatic glazing design consideration.

Moving past the conventional solutions to problems that surround windows, Hogan offered a more dynamic solution – glazing. Dynamic glazing options include suspended particle devices, liquid crystal devices, photochromic systems, thermochromic systems and electrochromic systems. Electrochromatic glazing is a thin film technology that tints on demand with a series of ceramic and metallic films deposited onto the glass surface.

Attendees were also provided with information on glass properties, options, and their performance, controlling glare, and daylight harvesting.

The trade show opens this afternoon at 3 p.m., and runs until 8 p.m. tonight with a cocktail party at 6 p.m. The show continues tomorrow.

Stay tuned to www.USGNN.com™ for more news from the event.