Next time you crank up your air conditioner and get than pang of guilt about your next electricity bill or even grow an environmental conscious; consider your surroundings.
Before you switch on the air conditioner, ask yourself:
What aspect are you facing? Do you get the morning or afternoon sun?
Is there a large window in your western facing living area and when you have afternoon nibbles your favourite cheese melts before your guests arrive?
Do you get a terrible sleep in summer because your bedroom faces east and it feels like your waking up in a tent in the desert?
If you could relate to the above situations, then you probably think glass is an appalling insulator. Or is it?
Glass as an insulator
Considering a high performance glass solution makes sense. Many Australian homes and business are investing in the right type of glass for not only an increased level of comfort but to benefit in the long term through savings to their energy bills.
30% of the average household energy use is attributed to heating and cooling. The need to reduce increasing electricity bills as well as adhere to government compliance on renovations and new builds is driving the trend for energy efficient glass.
We have a relatively narrow temperature range where we feel ‘comfortable’ in our homes. Yet even in the most temperate climates, the outside environment shows a far wider cycle of temperatures, from day to night and through the seasons. A poorly designed home can make these temperature cycles extreme, to the extent that it is more comfortable outside than in.
Central heating and air conditioning make a home more comfortable but uses energy, costs money and creates greenhouse gases. By using performance glass over air conditioning, you can ensure your home is the right temperature. Glass is the only building material that not only insulates us from temperature extremes, it can also control the passage of light and heat into and out of our homes.
Performance glass: the options
Householders not embarking on a major renovation may not realise the choice of performance glass available.
It’s refreshing to know the options don’t just include expensive European style double glazed windows but also include Australian single glazed low emissivity glass coated products. Add to that a good window covering like blinds or curtains and if your house already has a decent eave you could save on future electricity bills and enjoy a better nights sleep with no air conditioner guilt.
Greater Glass are specialists in modern, high performance glass.