Blue light transmitting glass coating
When it comes to energy-conscious materials, window glazing is one of the most rapidly changing—and internally conflicted—building product types. We desire great insulation performance and low solar heat gain from windows, yet these typically come at the cost of limited transparency and a narrow light spectrum.
With an appreciation for the extent to which full spectrum daylight enhances people’s overall wellbeing, researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute have determined that a particular slice of the spectrum is particularly important to building occupants’ moods. According to engineer Walther Glaubitt of the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC in Würzburg, “Our biorhythms are not affected by the wavelengths that brighten a room the most, but rather by blue light.”
As a result of this finding, the scientists have developed an ultra-thin glass coating that enhances the transmission of the blue end of the light spectrum. “Nobody’s ever made glass like this before. It makes you feel as if the window is permanently open,” claims Glaubitt.
The Fraunhofer Institute has partnered with both Centrosolar Glas GmbH and Uniglas GmbH to produce this 0.1 micrometer-thick coating commercially, and a new triple-glazed product called Uniglas / Vital will soon be available in the marketplace. According to Uniglas Technical Director Thomas Fielder, “Thanks to the special ISC coating… the light quality achieved is very close to that of single glazing” despite the presence of three layers of high-performance heat-insulating glass.
If this “feel good” glass works as well as its inventors and manufacturers claim, the age-old conflict between light and insulation may be greatly mitigated in window glazing.
Contact: Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC, Würzburg, Germany.
