New Thin-Triple Glass Could Open Window of Opportunity for Energy Savings and Jobs

Specialty window products that are custom manufactured often cost more than mainstream products. Thus, a key goal for many companies is to scale up production to reduce costs. “Manufacturing at higher volume on automated production lines could help drive down costs of thin-triple windows even further and transform the market for low-cost, energy-efficient windows,” Hart said.

A collaboration with Corning Inc., a global materials science company known for its expertise in glass science and manufacturing, helped Alpen ramp up production of its thin-triple and quad-pane offerings.

The Berkeley Lab researchers are currently collaborating with industry experts to address market adoption barriers to thin-triple windows. In recent work with Michigan Technological University, Hart and team helped develop industry guidance for window performance testing and safe handling. In a separate project, the researchers are supporting the development of vacuum-insulated glazing to further minimize heat transfer between windows and their surrounding environment.

“It’s pretty exciting that a window technology born out of an idea from 40 years ago is now creating jobs in the U.S.,” said Luis Fernandes, head of the Building Technologies Department in Berkeley Lab’s Energy Technologies Area. “One of the roles of Berkeley Lab is to have an idea and shepherd it through the challenges of R&D until it’s ready to manufacture at high volume.”

“The lack of availability of these innovative new windows has long been a bottleneck for homebuilders. But now, DOE’s industry-led R&D is helping to create a more reliable supply chain for a crucial component of building projects,” said Hart.

Berkeley Lab’s work on thin-triple window technology was supported by the Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, Building Technologies Office, and the California Energy Commission.

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Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) is committed to groundbreaking research focused on discovery science and solutions for abundant and reliable energy supplies. The lab’s expertise spans materials, chemistry, physics, biology, earth and environmental science, mathematics, and computing. Researchers from around the world rely on the lab’s world-class scientific facilities for their own pioneering research. Founded in 1931 on the belief that the biggest problems are best addressed by teams, Berkeley Lab and its scientists have been recognized with 16 Nobel Prizes. Berkeley Lab is a multiprogram national laboratory managed by the University of California for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science.

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