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AUGUST 2016 | 49 Residential Windows Along with all that, glass fabricators like PPG and Guardian are continually work- ing on new glass and coating types for the industry, but there's a downside: these super high-performance glass options can carry significant cost premiums. As glass prices rise, big curtainwalls tend to only be requested for high-end residential and commercial builds. Harrison recommends energy-modelling projects to keep those costs down: "It remains the best way to determine how to approach designing all heating and cooling elements, in conjunction with the ideal glazing set up." But these products are ultimately worth every penny, as these sort of windows make a big difference that homeowners value. Rutland ran a campaign last summer to replace one window for free with their Cardinal line, a Low-E glass with a third layer of silver to control solar gain. "We haven't had a single customer who hasn't gone on to do their whole house," says Lund. Washington State, B.C., the City of Vancouver and Alberta's recent code changes (requiring enhanced thermal performance of glazing systems) and adoption of the National Energy Code is shifting the market's needs significantly, says Harrison. "These changes have architects and their clients working on how to best allocate vision glass to spandrel area ratios that not only meet the code, but make the build- ing esthetically pleasing and marketable to potential buyers," he explains. These changes would not be possible at all without a bottom-up push for improved performance, though. "In Alberta, with the adoption of more recent standards including the National Energy Code of Canada for Buildings [NECB], the province has gone from a laggard to a leader," says Bousfield. It's thanks to technological developments that these changes to the building standards are now the norm, though. "New tech enables the laws to become more stringent; it can't go the other way round," says Bousfield. Existing systems are constantly being redesigned to pro- vide more insulation, increase thermal breaks and accom- modate larger glass areas. "Glass technology is a significant contributor to overall system performance," says Lebedovich. It's a never ending work in progress, with the ultimate goal of a perfectly energy efficient window. But to achieve that, "we're going to need a new product to take things a step further thermally and structurally," adds Bousfield. The industry is hard at work trying to make that happen, one baby step at a time. "We're seeing the same thing: small technical advances geared towards thermal performance," Lund says. Among today's most exciting products, the result of slow and steady techno- logical development: Cascadia Windows' most recent design, a fibreglass win- dow designed to push the envelope for energy efficiency and durability; Westeck Windows products made with intelligent glass, which can turn from clear to opaque with the flick of a switch; Starline's 9100 Series Flush-glazed windowwall, which is now thermally enhanced with a wider, dual-strut, polyamide thermal break, along with a narrower sealed unit cavity to accommodate more energy efficient IGU's; and the EuroLine products that come standard with multi-point locking hardware, double glaze, argon gas fill and the LoE coating. Meanwhile, Milgard's radius casement window for the Essence series allows for extremely tight tolerances and exceptionally high performance. And, in addition, the material allows Milgard to customize. "We keep pushing the boundaries of the biggest operable windows you can get; we're looking at 10-foot-tall single home win- dows," says Martinez. "It's crazy where people want to take windows and exciting at the same time." A Thin-framed window treatments from Cascadia Windors & Doors; Large window solutions with modern, clean lines from EuroLine Windows Inc. Trusted manufacturer and supplier of innovative, high-performance curtain wall, window wall and architectural glazing systems since 1992. 604-525-2800 8166 92 Street Delta BC info@phoenixglassinc.com Phoenix Glass Headquarters, Delta Phoenix Glass.indd 1 16-07-20 10:36 AM October 2016 ANNUAL INDUSTRY FEATURE: Curtain Wall/Window Wall Book your ad space now: Dan Chapman 604.473.0316 Alexander Sugden 604.473.0358

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