What Is Low-E Glass?

We hear a lot about Low-E glass these days. But what is Low-E glass and how does it work? To properly answer the question about what is Low-E glass we really need to talk about the solar energy spectrum or the energy from the sun.

The solar spectrum is made up of Ultraviolet (UV) light, visible light and infrared light (IR). Let’s break these down one by one:

UV light – This is the light that causes your furnishings, floors, and artwork to fade.

Visible light – This light is the light that is visible to the human eye.

IR light – Infrared light is transmitted as heat.

Now that we understand the different lights let’s go back to Low-E coatings. Low-E coatings have been designed to cut down on the amount of UV and infrared light that is transmitted through glass. This very thin Low-E coating that is applied to the glass reflects long wave infrared energy, or energy that is coming from the sun.

Low-E glass is great because it helps block out some of the heat from the sun without loosing any visible light. If you don’t have Low-E windows but would like to have the benefits of Low-E glass, you can have window tint installed and it will accomplish the same or more, depending on the tint selected. Check out our window tint page here.

Check out this website if you would like a more in-depth article on Low-E glass.