PPG Performance Glazings Wins Environmental Award

Solarban 70XL glass offers an unprecedented combination of solar control and visible light transmittance along with the transparent appearance so many architects and building owners desire. In a standard one-inch insulating glass unit, Solarban 70XL glass transmits 64 percent of the sun’s natural light while blocking 73 percent of its solar energy. The resulting light-to-solar gain (LSG) ratio of 2.37 establishes a new standard for performance in the architectural glass industry.



In acknowledging the award, Mark Orcutt, vice president, PPG Performance Glazings, said “We are extremely pleased to have won this award. It spotlights our environmental commitment, our superb research and development efforts and our product excellence.”



The Western Pennsylvania Environmental Awards are sponsored by the Pennsylvania Environmental Council and the Dominion Foundation. The organizations, which present four awards in the categories of community, higher education, primary/secondary education and business, honor outstanding environmental accomplishments in western Pennsylvania. PPG Performance Glazings and Solarban 70XL glass won in the business category. U.S. Steel Corp., also won an award in the business category.



PPG has designated that its $5,000 cash award be donated to the historic Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Pittsburgh, which features a large educational pavilion fabricated from Solarban 70XL Glass.



Because of its exceptional performance characteristics, Solarban 70XL glass has demonstrated the potential to generate significant energy savings in commercial buildings where glazing is a major architectural element. According to the U.S. Department of Energy’s most sophisticated modeling software, substituting Solarban 70XL glass for the next-highest-performing solar control low-e glass on a standard glass-walled, eight-story office building in Los Angeles can cut annual energy costs by 6.6 percent, or more than $40,000 per year (based on 2006 energy rates).



Specifying Solarban 70XL glass also enables architects and building owners to reduce the cooling capacity and equipment requirements for buildings. According to the study, the same eight-story office building in Los Angeles would require an initial HVAC equipment investment of nearly $120,000 less if using Solarban 70XL glass instead of the nearest competitive product. The potential savings are even more pronounced when Solarban 70XL glass is compared to other commonly specified glazings.



In addition, by reducing energy usage, Solarban 70XL glass can lower carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by more than 7,000 tons per year based on the same energy modeling scenario.



PPG is the largest flat glass manufacturer in North America and supplies glass for commercial and residential construction markets, industrial and specialty uses, and automotive, aircraft and other transportation applications.